Jennifer Walker

Dr. Jennifer Walker is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston’s School of Public Health and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at McGovern Medical School. She joined UTHealth in 2019 after postdoctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine and earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Iowa.

Her research focuses on host-pathogen interactions that drive chronic infections, particularly those linked to medical devices. Using multidisciplinary methods combining basic science, model systems, and patient samples, her lab addresses:

• How medical devices increase infection susceptibility
• Bacterial mechanisms in device-related infections
• Therapeutic strategies to combat device infections

Dr. Walker’s work aims to develop novel antibiotic-sparing treatments for these costly diseases. She is affiliated with the Center for Infectious Diseases.

Scientific Awards:

• Texas Rising STAR award (2019)