Academic Section(s):
Microbiology and Immunology
Education:
Ph.D. - 2013, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
B.S. - 2007, Oklahoma Christian University
Fellowship:
Washington University in St. Louis
Clinical/Research Interests:
Cellular and molecular biology of apicomplexan parasites. Areas of special interest include parasite motility, protein secretion, second messenger signaling, genetics, and pathogenesis.
Apicomplexan parasites remain a leading threat to global health due to their ability to invade, co-opt, and destroy host cells. Apicomplexans use gliding motility to enter and exit host cells but must remain static for intracellular replication, stage development, and chronic persistence. To precisely regulate motility, apicomplexans utilize cyclic nucleotide signaling where cGMP and cAMP cascades stimulate and suppress motility, respectively. The primary focus of our laboratory is to identify and characterize enzymes responsible for cyclic nucleotide signaling in apicomplexan parasites. Our workhorse parasite of choice is Toxoplasma gondii, a highly tractable apicomplexan that infects billions of humans and countless animals worldwide. Current projects relate to three key signaling questions:
- How do apicomplexans generate cyclic nucleotides in response to their host environment?
- How do apicomplexans buffer and integrate opposing cGMP and cAMP signals into a unified motile response?
- What targets of cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases are required for activation or suppression of apicomplexan motility?
Our research pipeline utilizes bioinformatics, transcriptomics and proteomics to identify candidate signaling enzymes that are conserved among all apicomplexans. Next, candidate enzymes are screened for function in vitro and in vivo using reverse genetics. Finally, key molecular determinants of enzyme activity are defined using genetic and biochemical mutational analyses. Our long-term goal is to leverage these protein/function studies to rationally develop novel anti-apicomplexan drug and/or vaccine therapies.