My research is focused on understanding pathogenic mechanisms of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP), a strict bacterial parasite of the porcine respiratory tract. It is the etiologic agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious infection responsible for substantial economic losses to the worldwide pig production industry. As a member of the Pasteurellaceae family, which also includes the human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae, APP provides the opportunity to study actual host/pathogen interactions, rather than relying on use of animal models.

Having developed a number of genetic tools to allow functional genomic analysis of APP and other related bacteria, I am focusing on identifying key virulence factors and pathways that can be exploited for development of novel therapeutic and vaccine strategies.