Our research interests have focused on Staphylococcus aureus, a human commensal bacterium that colonizes up to 30% of the population. The bacterium is also a major human pathogen that is a leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, infectious heart disease, and bacteremia. These devastating diseases occur in healthcare settings and in the community. Increasing antibiotic resistance compounds the problem, and the lack of a broad and efficacious vaccine emphasizes the need for novel anti-infectives and therapies.

Our group uses the power of S. aureus genetics in combination with biochemistry and genomics to unravel biological questions at the intersection between bacterial physiology and pathogenesis in Gram-positive bacteria. We recently expanded our research to include other opportunistic pathogens like Enterococcus faecalis. Please visit the following pages to learn more about our research.