Joan Mecsas

Joan Mecsas is a Professor in the Molecular Biology and Microbiology department at Tufts University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, and innate immunity. She leads a lab developing 3D intestinal organoid models to study enteric pathogens and investigates mechanisms by which pathogens like Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Klebsiella pneumoniae subvert neutrophil functions. Her work includes identifying druggable targets for antibiotic-resistant pathogens and characterizing effector proteins that modulate host immune responses.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, Swarthmore College (1994)
• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin (1993)

Research Interests:

• 3D tissue modeling of gastrointestinal tracts
• Type III secretion system (T3SS) effector proteins
• Neutrophil signaling and antimicrobial mechanisms
• Pathogen survival strategies in immunocompromised hosts
• Small molecule inhibitors targeting bacterial virulence factors

Teaching:

• Host Pathogen Interface (Taught 2008–present)
• Microbiology/Infectious Disease courses

Labs/Teams: Mecsas Lab focuses on integrating molecular microbiology, immunology, and cell biology to understand pathogen-host interactions at mucosal surfaces. Collaborations include Microbiotix for T3SS inhibitor development.