معرفی
Jenifer Coburn is a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She leads research at the Center for Infectious Disease Research, focusing on bacterial pathogenesis mechanisms of spirochetes like Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) and Leptospira interrogans. Her work elucidates how these pathogens interact with host cells, particularly through proteins like P66 and adhesins that mediate adherence to endothelial cells and facilitate immune evasion.
Dr. Coburn earned her PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Tufts University. Her research combines genetic, biochemical, and in vivo approaches to study bacterial survival strategies, including how Borrelia crosses endothelial barriers and how Leptospira disrupts vascular integrity. She employs murine models to investigate tissue colonization and bloodstream persistence mechanisms.
Key themes include:
- Role of P66 in integrin binding and porin function for Borrelia infectivity
- Leptospira’s binding to VE-cadherin and kidney cell adhesion mechanisms
- Development of experimental models to study spirochete pathogenesis
Her studies also address antibiotic-resistant Lyme arthritis and host immune responses to bacterial adhesins. The lab actively characterizes novel adhesins and explores their potential as targets for therapeutic interventions.
