Professional Title/s
Professor : Schwartz Professor of Life Sciences : Biochemestry CoordinatorFaculty Credentials
B.A., Thomas More College; Ph.D., Miami UniversityBiographical Information
Teaching
Investigative Approaches in Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Bacterial Pathogenesis.
Research
Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Chancroid
Research Interests
My research focuses on the obligate human pathogen Haemophilus ducreyi, which is most well known for causing chancroid, a sexually transmitted disease that is prevalent in resource-poor areas of the world. Previously, chancroid was of interest because it is associated with an increased risk of transmission and acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). More recently, H. ducreyi has been linked to limb ulcers in children in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, etc.). Students in my lab have studied the evolutionary relationships among isolates of H. ducreyi, differences in antibiotic susceptibility among isolates, and the potential to use essential oils as treatment for chancroid. My students are also interested in why more men than women have chancroid and they are trying to find out the biological basis for this sex bias. Furthermore, we are interested in figuring out why this organism that was previously thought to be only sexually transmitted is apparently being transmitted by some other, unknown, route. We address these questions with a variety of lab techniques, including DNA sequencing, classic bacteriology assays, bioinformatics, biochemical approaches, and work with biological vectors of disease
More Information
Office Hours
- Mondays: none
- Tuesdays: 1:30-2pm and 3:30-5pm
- Wednesdays: 4:30-5pm
- Thursdays: 10-11:30am
- Fridays: 2-4pm
Instagram:@chancroidlab