Paul Sumby

Paul Sumby, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes), a pathogen causing diverse human diseases such as strep throat, rheumatic heart disease, and necrotizing fasciitis.

• Education: B.S. in Genetics, University of Leicester, U.K.; Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology, University of Nottingham, U.K.

Dr. Sumby employs genetic, genomic, and transcriptomic approaches to dissect how GAS serotypes associate with specific disease phenotypes. Key areas include pathogenicity islands, small regulatory RNA functions (e.g., FasX), and two-component regulatory systems (e.g., CovRS/RocA). His lab investigates how mutations in regulatory genes drive strain-specific virulence and host-pathogen interactions.

Recent research trends highlight his work on M-type-specific pilus expression, RNA-mediated virulence regulation, and the role of the RD2 pathogenicity island in disease potential. Publications emphasize genomic analysis, horizontal gene transfer, and molecular explanations for serotype-disease correlations.