Christopher Alteri

Christopher Alteri, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Michigan-Dearborn's College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. His research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), and host-microbe interactions in pathogenic E. coli. He joined the faculty in 2018 after a decade at the University of Michigan Medical School, maintaining active collaborations with Ann Arbor labs. His work explores interbacterial competition, microbial metabolism in vivo, and UTI pathogenesis.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Fellowship: University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor)
• PhD: Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arizona College of Medicine
• B.S.: Microbiology and Chemistry, University of Arizona

Research Interests: T6SS-mediated bacterial warfare, pathogen virulence mechanisms, polymicrobial infections, and metabolic adaptation in host environments. His lab investigates how bacteria exploit host resources and combat competitors using specialized secretion systems.

Publications: Recent work includes studies on Klebsiella pathobiont adaptations, T6SS effector mechanisms, and vaccine development for UTIs. Key themes include microbiome interactions, dietary influences on gut pathogens, and metabolic strategies for pathogen survival.

Labs/Teams: Maintains an active undergraduate research laboratory at UM-Dearborn, emphasizing hands-on training in microbiology and pathogenesis studies.