Michael Robert Wessels

Michael Robert Wessels is the John F. Enders Professor of Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital and holds a Professor of Medicine position at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He specializes in pediatric infectious diseases and bacterial pathogenesis, focusing on the virulence mechanisms of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and Group B Streptococcus (GBS). His research explores toxin interactions, host-pathogen dynamics, and bacterial survival strategies.

Dr. Wessels has led major grants including NIH-funded studies on pediatric infectious diseases training (T32HD055148), virulence mechanisms of GAS toxins (R01AI070926), and neuro-immune signaling in S. pyogenes pathogenesis (R01AI130019). His work bridges clinical care and basic science, with high-impact publications in Cell, Nature Communications, and mBio.

Research interests include:

• Streptococcal virulence factors (e.g., NAD+ glycohydrolase, streptolysin O)
• Host immune evasion strategies
• Antibiotic resistance mechanisms
• Microbial pathogenesis and host defense

Grants and collaborations highlight his role in mentoring trainees and advancing understanding of bacterial infections in pediatrics. He has advised numerous researchers and contributed to translational studies on streptococcal infections.