معرفی
Caetano Antunes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Kansas, where he joined in January 2023 after transitioning from Fundação Oswaldo Cruz in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His research program focuses on host-microbe interactions with particular emphasis on small molecules in the gut metabolome and their effects on bacterial pathogen behavior.
Dr. Antunes earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Microbiology from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (2000, 2002), completed his Ph.D. at the University of Iowa (2007), and conducted post-doctoral research at the University of British Columbia (2008-2012). His work bridges microbiology, metabolomics, and molecular biology to understand how microbial metabolites influence pathogen virulence and host responses.
His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on gut microbiome-derived small molecules and their regulatory effects on bacterial pathogens like Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae. His research spans from basic molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic applications targeting pathogen virulence without directly killing bacteria, representing a promising antivirulence approach to combat antibiotic resistance.
Dr. Antunes teaches courses including Introduction to Honors Research, Immunology Laboratory, Rigor and Reproducibility in Research, and Advanced Molecular Genetics, demonstrating his commitment to training the next generation of scientists in both foundational and advanced molecular techniques.
