Research/Areas of Interest:

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the etiological agent of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection with an estimated 78 million new cases annually. Emergence of antimicrobial resistance among N. gonorrhoeae strains worldwide has resulted in limited therapeutic choices for this infection. N. gonorrhoeae infects the male and female genital tract, two very distinct environments in humans. Because there are intrinsic tissue, cellular and molecular differences that define these host environments, it is reasonable to assume that the gonococcus adapts to these environmental differences during infection. Our studies have focused on understanding gonococcal gene regulation during human mucosal infection by global transcriptase analysis. My project is focused on understanding how expression of antimicrobial resistance genes are driven by environmental cues in the male and female genital tract.

Education

  • BS, Microbiology and Immunology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • MS, Microbiology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • PhD, Microbiology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil