Kelly E Bachta

Kelly E Bachta, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. She maintains a dual role as both a researcher leading her independent laboratory and a clinician providing infectious disease consultation services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. Bachta's work bridges basic science with clinical applications, focusing on bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Bachta's educational background includes:

• PhD in Microbiology from University of Chicago (2008)
• MD from University of Chicago (2010)
• Internal Medicine Residency at University of Washington Medical Center (2013)
• Infectious Disease Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital (2015)
• Advanced Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital (2016)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University under Dr. Alan Hauser (2019)

Her research program, established in September 2020, centers on understanding Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection dynamics and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. The Bachta Laboratory utilizes animal models and comparative bacterial genomics to investigate how this pathogen evolves during infection and develops resistance. Her work has particular relevance to healthcare-associated infections where multidrug resistance poses significant clinical challenges. Dr. Bachta's approach combines next-generation sequencing technologies with traditional microbiological methods to address fundamental questions in bacterial pathogenesis.

Analysis of Dr. Bachta's recent publications reveals a strong focus on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa research. Her work spans from basic laboratory methodologies to clinical case studies of drug-resistant infections. The publications demonstrate a consistent theme of investigating infection dynamics, developing improved research models, and addressing clinical challenges related to antimicrobial resistance. Her collaborative work on the SARS-CoV-2 helicase indicates broader interests in infectious disease mechanisms beyond her primary bacterial focus.

Dr. Bachta's scientific recognition includes:

• Excellence in Medical Student Teaching, Northwestern University (2018)
• Clinical Pathophysiology and Therapeutics Teaching Assistantship, University of Chicago (2009)
• Frank Fellow, University of Chicago (2007)
• Students Teaching Students Award, University of Chicago (2006 and 2005)

While the majority of her time is dedicated to research, Dr. Bachta maintains an active clinical role on the inpatient infectious diseases consult service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She is involved in professional service through committee memberships including the ASMicrobe Host Microbe Biology Programming Committee (2023-present) and the Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference Organizing Committee (2022-2023). Her professional society memberships span multiple organizations including the Infectious Disease Society of America, American Medical Association, American Society of Microbiology, and American College of Physicians.

The Bachta Laboratory, housed within Northwestern's Center for Human Immunobiology and affiliated with the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) and the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health, maintains extensive bacterial isolate collections and utilizes advanced animal models to study infection dynamics. The lab's work contributes significantly to understanding how bacterial pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapt during infection and develop resistance to antimicrobial therapies.