Adam Nock

Adam Nock, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & Immunology at Texas A&M University's School of Medicine. His research focuses on the intracellular bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Dr. Nock studies how this pathogen navigates transitions between tick vectors and vertebrate hosts, particularly through sensing environmental changes and regulating virulence factors like actin-based motility.

Education

• BA in Biology, Rutgers University (2005)
• PhD in Microbiology & Immunology, University of Vermont (2011–2018)
• Postdoctoral Training at Rocky Mountain Laboratories (NIAID, NIH) under Dr. Ted Hackstadt (2018–2024)

Research Interests

• Development of genetic tools for Rickettsia species
• Mechanisms of actin-based motility regulation via proteins like RoaM
• Host cell metabolism hijacking by obligate intracellular pathogens
• Genomic stability and phenotypic variation in Rickettsia strains

Publications Focus on molecular mechanisms of Rickettsia pathogenesis, CRISPRi systems in bacteria, and bacterial genome sequencing. Recent work highlights inducible gene expression tools and characterization of Rickettsia surface proteins.

Labs & Affiliations Directs the Rickettsial Lab (www.rickettsialab.org), specializing in bacterial genetics and microscopy. Collaborates with NIAID on tickborne disease research.