Donald C. Hall, Jr.

Donald C. Hall, Jr., PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine. His research focuses on combatting persistent bacterial infections through innovative therapeutics, diagnostics, and materials. He directs the Drexel Medicine Diagnostics Laboratory, overseeing molecular diagnostic testing and regulatory compliance for infectious diseases.

Education: PhD in Chemical Biology/Medicinal Chemistry (Drexel University, 2020), Postdoctoral Fellowship in Microbiology (Drexel University College of Medicine, 2022), BS in Biochemistry (York College of Pennsylvania, 2014).

Research Interests: Computational drug design, bacterial multi-drug tolerance, stringent response mechanisms, non-thermal plasma (NTP) antimicrobial strategies, and rapid molecular diagnostics. His lab develops anti-biofilm agents, inhibitors targeting bacterial persister cells, and advanced diagnostic tools for sepsis.

Key Research Trends: Recent work emphasizes NTP optimization for clinical use, novel antimicrobial materials, and rapid pathogen detection systems. His articles span biofilm disruption, SARS-CoV-2 drug modeling, and Alzheimer’s microbiome studies.

Grants & Collaboration: Lab members include Michiko Thwe (PhD Candidate) and Lauren Walsh (MS Candidate). Collaborations include Dr. Garth Ehrlich on RelA inhibitors and Dr. Vandana Miller on molecular diagnostics. He holds patents on biofilm-disrupting compounds and anti-biofilm drug pipelines.

Labs/Teams: The Hall Lab at Drexel integrates chemistry, microbiology, and biotechnology to advance therapies for chronic infections. The Drexel Medicine Diagnostics Lab provides CLIA/CAP-accredited clinical diagnostic services.