Catherine O鈥機onnell鈥檚 interest in bacterial pathogenesis stems from early training in聽Staphylococcus aureus聽genetics, evolving through her study of the intracellular pathogen聽Shigella flexneri, to her current research interest, the obligate intracellular pathogen聽Chlamydia trachomatis.
Dr. O鈥機onnell鈥檚 principal research goals are directed towards understanding the virulence mechanisms used by chlamydial species to cause disease. She has a strong interest in the complex host-pathogen interactions involved in chlamydial infection, particularly those influenced by the presence of the conserved resident plasmid. In addition, she is also interested in chlamydial-cell interactions that influence the flow of important metabolic intermediates to inclusion-bound microorganisms or that result in host-directed modification of chlamydial proteins that ultimately may alter immune-recognition and antigen presentation.
Dr. O鈥機onnell has developed a recent interest in investigating the impact of chlamydial infection on human inflammatory responses using transcriptional profiling and in studying the genomics of chlamydial strains associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, the most damaging manifestation of genital tract infection caused by聽C. trachomatis. The goal of this research is to identify biomarkers, both host and bacterial, that can predict risk for severe reproductive tract morbidities such as infertility and ectopic pregnancy.
