Our research focuses on the complex interplay between microbes and the host immune response. When confronted with microbial insults, the immune system induces inflammation, altering the vasculature and triggering the infiltration of immune cells to the site of infection. Consequently, microbial pathogens have evolved mechanisms to evade host defenses at various stages of the inflammatory response. While the induction of inflammation is tightly regulated to ensure pathogen clearance, the resolution of inflammation is critical to avoid excessive tissue damage and detrimental inflammatory disease.
Our specific interest is to study the resolution stage, when the immune response is actively down-regulated during the return to homeostasis. We investigate the pathways driving this process and the mechanisms by which pathogens exploit the resulting vulnerability of the host, using models of influenza virus/Staphylococcus aureus super-infection. We combine global systems biology approaches and targeted molecular methods to understand the interactions between immune networks and microbial pathways.