Gowrishankar Muthukrishnan

Gowrishankar Muthukrishnan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center with joint appointments in the Department of Orthopaedics (Center for Musculoskeletal Research) and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. His research focuses on understanding the immunobiology of musculoskeletal infections, particularly host-pathogen interactions and the osteoimmunology of orthopaedic infections.

Dr. Muthukrishnan earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in 2014. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Rochester Medical Center from 2015-2019, with work in both the Center for Musculoskeletal Research and the Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology.

His laboratory employs humanized mouse models, genetic mouse models of human disease, primary human patient samples, high dimensional flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing (scRNAseq, single cell immune profiling), and in vivo imaging techniques to study bone infections. His research program aims to understand the immunobiology of musculoskeletal infections, which remains among the most severe and devastating risks associated with orthopaedic surgery. Currently, there are no available immunotherapies to combat these debilitating infections, and his lab is focused on uncovering host-pathogen interactions to aid in novel immunotherapy development.

Analysis of Dr. Muthukrishnan's recent publications reveals a strong focus on Staphylococcus aureus infections, particularly osteomyelitis and implant-associated bone infections. His work spans multiple disciplines including immunology, microbiology, orthopaedics, and bone biology, with a particular emphasis on understanding host immune responses to bone infections and developing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Scientific Awards

• AO Research Institute Fellowship (Davos, Switzerland), 2019-2021
• Great Lakes International Imaging and Flow Cytometry Association (GLIIFCA 2016) Travel Award, 2016
• Great Lakes International Imaging and Flow Cytometry Association (GLIIFCA 2016) Best Poster Award, 2016
• Rudy Wodzinski Memorial Scholarship, 2011-2012

Dr. Muthukrishnan mentors graduate students including Chloe Marie Kraft and Katya McDonald in the Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology Ph.D. Program. His laboratory team also includes postdoctoral scholars Himanshu Meghwani, Ph.D. and Motoo Saito, M.D., Ph.D., as well as several undergraduate research interns.

The Muthukrishnan Laboratory at the University of Rochester Medical Center is actively engaged in research on bone infections, utilizing advanced techniques to study host-pathogen interactions. The lab collaborates extensively with other researchers in orthopaedics, microbiology, and immunology, contributing to the understanding and treatment of musculoskeletal infections.