Patrick Mitchell

Patrick Mitchell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is also a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar and maintains an active research laboratory studying host-pathogen interactions and innate immunity. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern host immune responses to pathogens, particularly through inflammasome-forming sensors.

Dr. Mitchell received his undergraduate education at Pitzer College. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under the mentorship of Dr. Harmit Malik and Dr. Michael Emerman, where he studied the evolution of host-virus interactions. He completed his postdoctoral training with Russell Vance at the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on pathogen detection by innate immune sensors called inflammasomes.

Research in the Mitchell Lab centers on understanding how host cells detect pathogens through 'patterns of pathogenesis' - contextual cues of infection that distinguish pathogens from non-pathogenic microbes. The lab has made significant contributions to understanding how inflammasome-forming sensors like NLRP1 and CARD8 detect pathogen-specific activities. They combine approaches from evolution, genetics, biochemistry, immunology, and microbiology to decipher mechanisms of innate immune recognition.

Analysis of Dr. Mitchell's recent publications reveals a strong focus on inflammasome activation mechanisms across various pathogens including HIV, coronaviruses, picornaviruses, and bacterial pathogens like Shigella and Pseudomonas. His work demonstrates how pathogens have evolved specific mechanisms to evade or activate host immune sensors, highlighting the ongoing evolutionary arms race between hosts and pathogens.

• Freeman Hrabowski Scholar

Dr. Mitchell currently mentors several graduate students including Miles Corley, Christina Yap, Marisa Yonemitsu, and previously mentored Jessie Kulsuptrakul. His laboratory has received funding that supports multiple postdoctoral scholars, research technicians, and undergraduate researchers. The Mitchell Lab is known for its inclusive environment and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.

The Mitchell Lab maintains an active research program with multiple projects focused on inflammasome-forming sensors, including NLRP1, CARD8, and NAIP-NLRC4. They utilize various model systems including cell culture, mouse models, and biochemical approaches to study host-pathogen interactions. Notably, the lab developed the first physiologically relevant mouse model of human shigellosis by creating NAIP-NLRC4-deficient mice.