Jovanka Voyich Research and Lab

The Voyich Lab focuses on host-pathogen interactions with an emphasis on human neutrophils and the Gram-positive pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Streptococcus pyogenes. Our most significant scientific accomplishments to date have been to expose reciprocal communication between pathogen and host. Our lab focuses on the overarching hypothesis that emerging strains of bacteria are not more virulent because they harbor new virulence factors, but are better able to sense and respond to their human hosts.

Our studies have advanced the understanding of gene regulation essential to S. aureuspathogenesis and have likewise demonstrated that the regulation of virulence in this pathogen isfar more sophisticated than the commonly accepted ‘on-off’ paradigm. This posits that response regulators turn-on only subsets of genes based on the host stimulus. Collectively, our work has progressed and underscored the complexity of host-pathogen interactions.

Current Projects

• Defining SaeR/S-dependent Neutrophi S. aureusInteractions that Determine the Outcome of Infection

• Biogenesis and Function of Lancefield Group A Carbohydrate Expressed by Streptococcus pyogenes

• Characterizing SaeR/S Two-component System Signal Transduction in Methicillin- Resistant Staphylococcus aureusFollowing Phagocytosis by Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
• NIH American Indian-Alaska Native Clinical and Translational Research Center

Voyich Lab –Personnel

• Dr. Tyler Nygaard – Assistant Research Professor
• Kyler Pallister – Lab Manager
• Jenny Dankoff -Graduate Student
  
• Brian Pettygrove – Graduate Student
• Cassandra Robinson -Graduate Student
• Trisheena Kills Pretty Enemy -Graduate Student
• Owen Burroughs – Undergraduate
• Tyler Evans – Undergraduate
  
• Bud Parks – Undergraduate

Jovanka Voyich Research and Scholarly Works

STAT3 mutations in the hyper-IgE syndrome