The Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center recently welcomed Drs. Robert "Robbie" Watson and Kristin Patrick to the research team. They join us from Texas A&M, bringing with them considerable expertise and stellar labs focused on basic science and macrophage innate immune response is regulated during bacterial infection.
- The Watson lab studies the Mycobacterium tuberculosis host-pathogen interface and is particularly focused how Mtb cytosolic access and mitochondrial homeostasis impact bacterial pathogenesis in macrophages ex vivo and in mouse models of infection.
- The Patrick lab studies the contributions of RNA binding proteins to macrophage activation and how post-transcriptional regulation of innate immune gene expression (mostly at the level of pre-mRNA splicing) impacts infection outcomes.
We look forward to their continued contributions toward TB elimination and coordinating with them on future projects.