Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

I am an early career researcher, with a love and passion for microbiology. Over the past 16 years (master's, doctoral, postdoctoral, and ECR), I have focused on bacterial pathogens of zoonotic and human diseases. My laboratory investigates the genetic mechanisms that drive bacterial pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on the agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. Our research is organized around four main avenues: (1) Bacterial gene regulation that promotes and sustains infection in vertebrate hosts, (2) Pathogen-host and pathogen-vector interactions that enable bacterial survival and transmission, (3) Enhancing molecular research by creating new reagents and tools to enhance our understanding of understudied bacteria, and (4) Translational applications utilizing our discoveries to identify new therapeutics and prophylactic strategies against these important pathogens. I thoroughly enjoy research and find it exhilarating to uncover mechanisms crucial to bacterial pathogenesis. My work advances both fundamental scientific knowledge and to the development of potential therapeutics for human diseases. In addition to our focus on pathogenesis, we are dedicated to expanding the molecular toolbox available for studying bacterial pathogens. For instance, we recently developed a novel method for marker-less plasmid displacement in B. burgdorferi, which enables further study of genes involved in pathogenesis and immune evasion in vertebrate hosts. I also strive to share our research with the public through written communications (The Conversation and Western Producer), as well as radio (CBC The Morning Edition and The Evan Bray Show) and television (CTV News) interviews. Attending the NIF will provide an invaluable opportunity to gain practical knowledge that supports my professional development, as well as to establish connections with other early career researchers and senior postdoctoral fellows.