Faculty

Neglected Diseases (NTDs) caused by parasitic worms (helminths) impose a debilitating health and economic burden throughout much of the world. These global diseases of poverty infect over 1.5 billion humans and present major challenges to animal and plant health. The central ambition of our laboratory is to combine molecular biology, genetics, and computational approaches to make discoveries that improve our understanding of parasite biology and our ability to treat parasitic infections. This includes the identification of new targets for drug discovery, the elucidation of mechanisms of drug resistance, and the development of new tools for parasite manipulation and phenotypic screening. Our work involves the direct study of human and animal parasites, including the mosquito-borne nematode Brugia malayi and the snail-transmitted blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. To complement these efforts, we leverage the power of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We strive to place our work in the context of a growing appreciation for parasite genetic diversity.