Kathryn Patras

Kathryn Patras, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, affiliated with the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research. She earned her PhD from San Diego State University and UC San Diego, with a postdoctoral fellowship at UC San Diego. Her research focuses on mucosal immunity and microbiota interactions in the female urogenital tract, particularly Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and urinary tract infections. Her work integrates basic science and translational approaches to understand pathogen colonization mechanisms and host defense strategies.

Education: PhD in Pediatrics (San Diego State University/UC San Diego), BS in Biology (University of Nebraska-Lincoln).

Research Interests: Host-microbe interactions, urogenital health, GBS colonization dynamics, UTI pathogenesis, and metabolic influences on infections. Key areas include how host immunity and microbiota composition affect infection susceptibility, particularly during pregnancy and metabolic conditions like gestational diabetes.

Key Funding: NIH grants (NIDDK, NIAID, NICHD), Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Topics include microbiome discovery, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, and vaginal microbiota modulation by human milk oligosaccharides.

Lab Activities: The Patras Lab explores vaginal microbiota dynamics, host immune responses, and the impact of metabolic factors. Projects include developing targeted preventions for GBS and UTIs while preserving beneficial microbiota. The lab is located at One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX.