Research focus - Mechanisms of cell envelope biogenesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosaPostdoctoral advisor - Thomas G. Bernhardt, PhD

Doctoral thesis research conducted in the laboratory of Andrew Camilli, PhD. Focused on the factors controlling release of the pneumolysin toxin from Streptococcus pneumoniae, in particular, the contribution of peptidoglycan cell wall structure and remodeling in this process.

Hosted by Sergio R. Filipe, PhD. Analyzed peptidoglycan composition from mutant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Worked in the laboratory of Gongqin Sun, PhD, researching protein tyrosine kinases with emphasis on structure-function relationships. Purified mutant proteins generated using site-directed mutagenesis and further characterized these proteins using biochemical techniques.

Worked in the laboratory of Paul Cohen, PhD, studying nutritional programs of both commensal and pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. Tested sugar metabolism mutants in mouse colonization experiments. Portions of this work were conducted as a member of the RI-INBRE Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program.

Researched invasive plant biology and chemistry of various hardwood tree species in the laboratory of Laura Meyerson, PhD.