I am a graduate student in the Department of Microbiology in Dr. Rachel Whitaker’s lab. I study the coevolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis patients, and its associated viruses. Viruses can contribute to increased virulence in successful infections or can lead to extinction of the host population in culture. I am interested in what virus fitness looks like under conditions of varying types of host resistance, both genetic (e.g. the CRISPR-Cas bacterial adaptive immune system) and physical (e.g. downregulation of virus receptor). I am also interested in the mechanisms by which increased or decreased viral fitness affects the fitness of its host. This work will better inform potential phage therapy or antibiotic treatments in patients with chronic bacterial infections.
