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Jamisha Francis


Department: Microbe-Host Interaction

Faculty Mentor: PI: Jennifer Gaddy, Ph.D.

Dissertation DescriptionRole of Nutritional immunity in Group B Streptococcus pathogenesis

Group B streptococcal (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae infections are one of the top five leading causes of neonatal mortality, causing chorioamnionitis, fetal infection, neonatal sepsis and preterm birth. GBS colonizes the urogenital and/or the gastro-intestinal tract of about 40-50% of healthy women in the United States. Our lab studies host-microbe interactions, primarily nutritional immunity, at the host microbe interface of GBS colonization.  My project focuses on the role of pro-inflammatory calcium binding protein S100A12 and zinc throughout infection and colonization.