Youssef Aachoui

Youssef Aachoui, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of innate immunity, particularly inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in response to bacterial pathogens. Dr. Aachoui received his Ph.D. from Indiana State University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

His work investigates how inflammasomes detect pathogens and cellular stress, leading to pyroptosis—a programmed cell death that disrupts pathogen niches but can also drive inflammatory disorders. Key projects include studying Shigella's evasion strategies, neutrophil inflammasome responses, and the interplay between caspase-11 and innate immune signaling. Dr. Aachoui actively mentors postdoctoral fellows (e.g., Changhoon Oh) and graduate students (e.g., Todd J. Spears), and his lab explores translational applications of inflammasome biology.

Publications highlight contributions to understanding cytosolic LPS sensing, bacterial effector proteins, and neutrophil pyroptosis-driven immune responses. The team emphasizes mechanistic insights into regulated cell death pathways and their implications for both host defense and inflammatory diseases.