Ferric C. Fang

Ferric C. Fang is a Professor of Microbiology and Joint Professor of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He directs the Fang Laboratory, which focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly studying Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus, and has been at the University of Washington since 2001 after faculty positions at UC San Diego and the University of Colorado.

Dr. Fang attended Harvard College (A.B. magna cum laude in Biology, 1979) and Harvard Medical School (M.D., 1983). His professional training includes internship/residency at UC San Diego (1983-1986), Chief Residency (1986-1987), and Infectious Disease Fellowship (1987-1990), with post-doctoral work in the laboratories of Donald Helinski and Donald Guiney.

Dr. Fang's research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly the interactions between phagocytes and pathogens, transcriptional regulation of virulence genes, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and the pathogenesis of typhoid and paratyphoid fever. His laboratory investigates how pathogens like Salmonella and Staphylococcus resist host antimicrobial defenses including nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species. A major discovery from his laboratory is 'xenogeneic silencing,' a mechanism by which bacteria recognize and integrate foreign DNA into regulatory networks.

Analysis of Dr. Fang's recent publications reveals a strong focus on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly Salmonella research, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and host-pathogen interactions. His work spans molecular microbiology, clinical infectious diseases, and research integrity topics, demonstrating his broad impact across both basic science and clinical translation. He has increasingly published on scientific integrity and research ethics issues alongside his microbiology work.

• National Merit Scholar (1975)
• Phi Beta Kappa (1979)
• NIH Physician-Scientist Award (1987-1992)
• ASM Baxter Diagnostics MicroScan Young Investigator Award (1994)
• American Society for Clinical Investigation (elected 1998)
• Editor-in-Chief of Infection and Immunity (2007-2017)
• American Academy of Microbiology (elected 2007)

Dr. Fang has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, including current lab members W. Ryan Will, Fermin Guerra, Wai Yee Fong, and Taylor Stepien. He has directed the NIH T32 Training Program in Bacterial Pathogenesis since 2003, supporting generations of microbiology researchers. His research has been consistently funded by NIH grants focusing on bacterial pathogenesis mechanisms, with particular emphasis on how pathogens interact with host immune defenses.

The Fang Laboratory maintains active research programs studying bacterial pathogenesis mechanisms, particularly focusing on Salmonella and Staphylococcus interactions with host immune cells. The lab employs molecular genetics, biochemistry, and in vivo infection models to investigate how pathogens resist host antimicrobial defenses and regulate virulence gene expression. Current projects include studying the pathogenesis of typhoid fever and mechanisms of virulence gene regulation, with recent work exploring nitric oxide resistance mechanisms and xenogeneic silencing.