About Our Lab
We study the molecular pathogenesis of Legionella pneumophila, the bacterial agent of Legionnaires’ disease; molecular and cellular bases of intracellular infection of human macrophages by bacterial pathogens; identification and characterization of bacterial genes and gene products that promote virulence; analysis of bacterial iron acquisition, adherence to host cells, secretion of toxins and other virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance. Alongside studying Legionella pneumophila, we also study Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, an emerging, multi-drug resistant pathogen.
Overview
Lab News
August 2023: Congratulations to Carlton Adams on being awarded a NIH NRSA F31 Pre-Doctoral Grant to study Legionella pneumophila Type 2 Secretion Substrates!
July 2023: Congratulations to Alberto Lopez on his first author publication entitled “Legionella pneumophila Rhizoferrin Promotes Bacterial Biofilm Formation and Growth within Amoebae and Macrophages”
June 2023: Congratulations to Alberto Lopez and Josh Mayoral on publishing a genome resource announcement entitled “Complete Genome Sequence of Legionella cardiaca Strain H63T, Isolated from a Case of Native Valve Endocarditis”!
October 2022: Congratulations to Jackson Campbell PhD on successfully defending his PhD! (Celebration pictured on the left!)
September 2022: Congratulations to Jackson on his first author publication, check it out “Legionella pneumophila Cas2 Promotes the Expression of Small Heat Shock Protein C2 That Is Required for Thermal Tolerance and Optimal Intracellular Infection”
June/July 2021: We congratulate Megan Nas PhD and Lubov Grigoryeva PhD on successfully defending their PhDs!
May/June 2021: Congratulations to Megan Nas and Jeff Gabel on their recent publication “Effectors of the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Type IV Secretion System Mediate Killing of Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa“
Sept 2020: Congratulations Carlton Adams on being appointed to the NIH T32 Immunology & Molecular (Microbiology) Pathogenesis training grant!
Aug 2020:
Join us in welcoming our newest graduate student Armando Barajas!
Congrats to our former research technician, Ian McIntire, on starting graduate school at University of Illinois Chicago!
June 2020
Check out the work of former lab members Ian McIntire, R. Chris White PhD , and Jessica Tyson PhD in collaboration with Garnett Lab entitled: Structure, Dynamics and Cellular Insight Into Novel Substrates of the Legionella pneumophila Type II Secretion System
Congratulations to Carlton Adams on passing his qualifying exam!
Former Post-Doc Dr. Hilary K. Truchan starts as an Assistant Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University!
May 2020:Congratulations to Lubov Grigoryeva on her co-author publication on the Structure and functional analysis of the L. pneumophila chitinase ChiA! (Click to Read)
April 2020: Congratulation to Meg Nas on her publication from her MPH field experience titled: The intersection of hand hygiene, infusion pump contamination, and high alarm volume in the health care environment”
Jan 2020: Welcome in joining our newest research technician Jeff Gabel!
Nov 2019: Check out Alberto, Hilary, and Ian’s publication in collaboration with the Jensen Lab on Cryo-EM of the Legionella pneumophila Type 2 Secretion System! (Link to Article)
Oct 2019: Join us in welcoming Pingdong Liang PhD as a Postdoctoral Fellow.
Sept 2019:
Congratulations to Meg Nas on being awarded her NIH NRSA F31 Pre-Doctoral Grant to study S. maltophilia Type 4 Secretion
Congratulations to Brandi Cobe on being appointed to the NIH T32 Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease (CMBD) training grant.
Congratulations Alberto Lopez on being appointed to the NIH T32 Immunology & Molecular (Microbiology) Pathogenesis training grant!
May 2019:
Congratulations to Jackson Campbell on presenting his fourth year seminar to the Micro-Immuno department!
Recent Publications
July 2023 – Click here
June 2023 – Click Here
September 2022 – Learn More
July 2021 – Learn More
May/June 2021 ; Learn More
May 2020 ; Learn More
November 2019. Learn More
Sept. 2019 Learn More
August 2019 Learn More
