معرفی
Dr. Paula Watnick is a Professor at Harvard Medical School where she leads a research laboratory located in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children's Hospital. Her lab maintains dual affiliations with the Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology at Harvard Medical School.
Her research program focuses on transcriptional regulation of bacterial metabolism and the complex interactions between commensal and pathogenic microbes with the host intestine. The laboratory employs Drosophila melanogaster as a genetically tractable model host to generate hypotheses that are subsequently tested in mammalian models. Key research areas include the role of bacterial membranes in transcriptional regulation, intestinal responses to Vibrio cholerae quorum sensing, cell type-specific regulation of innate immunity by gut microbes, and sex steroid signaling in intestinal immunity and systemic metabolism.
The laboratory has published significant work including a recent paper in Cell Reports on Vibrio cholerae high cell density quorum sensing activating host intestinal innate immune responses. Dr. Watnick's research program demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between microbiology, immunology, and host metabolism.
Dr. Watnick actively mentors a diverse team of researchers including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Her laboratory culture emphasizes creating a supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment where members are empowered to pursue scientific and career goals without bias or microaggressions. Current lab members include postdocs Mingyu Shin, Xiang Ding, Tania Paolo, and Guillaume Sadrin, along with research assistants and graduate students.
The Watnick Lab maintains an active research program with ongoing investigations into bacterial metabolism manipulation strategies, amplification of beneficial microbial effects, and prevention of pathogenic damage to the host intestine.
