Beth McCormick

Beth McCormick, PhD, holds the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chair II at UMass Chan Medical School. She serves as Professor in the Department of Microbiology and as an affiliated investigator in multiple departments including the NeuroNexus Institute, Program in Microbial Dynamics, and Immunology and Microbiology Program at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Her research spans three major programs: mucosal inflammation, host-pathogen interactions, and cancer biology.

• Education: BA in Arts (University of New Hampshire), PhD in Microbiology (University of Rhode Island), Postdoctoral Training (Harvard Medical School)

Research Interests
Dr. McCormick investigates host-pathogen dynamics at mucosal surfaces, particularly focusing on neutrophil migration mechanisms in intestinal/respiratory infections. Her work uncovered hepoxilin A3 as a critical chemoattractant in Salmonella, Shigella, and Pseudomonas infections. Her cancer biology research explores Salmonella's tumor-targeting properties and its role in downregulating P-glycoprotein to combat multidrug resistance in colorectal and breast cancers. These studies integrate microbiome analysis, inflammatory signaling pathways, and translational applications.

Publication Trends
Her 15 most recent articles (2025-2007) emphasize microbial influence on immune modulation, with key subfields: Salmonella/Shigella pathogenesis, neutrophil transepithelial migration, microbiome-disease associations (Alzheimer's, IBD, COPD), P-glycoprotein regulation, and inflammatory signaling cascades.

Collaborative Networks
Dr. McCormick collaborates with researchers like John Haran (microbiome studies), Doyle Ward (computational microbiology), and Valerie Bucci (microbial ecology). Her lab addresses chronic conditions through bacterial effector mechanisms and transporter modulation.

Lab Affiliations
Her research is conducted at the McCormick Laboratory, which explores bacterial virulence factors, epithelial defense systems, and microbiome-related pathologies across gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases.