Our emerging research team aims to understand the molecular dynamics that unfold during intracellular infection. Our primary pathogen of interest is Salmonella, a food-borne bacterium classified as “high-priority” by the World Health Organization and a versatile model to study intracellular bacterial pathogenesis.

We investigate how Salmonella hijacks host signaling pathways to remodel intracellular architecture and establish a unique replication-permissive niche that supplies nutrients while limiting host detection. A central focus of our work is how post-translational modifications reshape intracellular trafficking during infection, ultimately driving the formation of a specialized bacteria-containing vacuole that fulfills bacterial needs.

Because intravacuolar replication is a strategy shared by major human pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Legionella pneumophila, our research provides a framework to identify common principles of niche formation. By uncovering these shared mechanisms, we aim to inform new therapeutic strategies that target the intracellular shelters on which pathogens depend for survival.