Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Biography

I'm a cell biologist with a deep interest in membrane trafficking and how pathogens hijack this cellular process for their own benefit. I further trained on the mechanisms of infection of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, and as I establish my own lab, my primary research goals are to understand how C. neoformans can survive inside host phagocytes and cross cellular barriers, which are the main drivers of disease progression. Additionally, throughout my career I have worked/trained with the model yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans, in addition to C. neoformans, asking diverse questions related to cell polarity, intracellular membrane trafficking, yeast genetics, and host interactions. My experience with yeast genetic techniques, my background in eukaryotic cell biology, and my training in fungal pathogenesis, led me start a collaboration with the Flores-Mireles lab to study another fungal organism, the otherwise commensal C. albicans. C. albicans has become the second most common pathogen responsible for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Dr. Flores-Mireles is a leader in the field of bacterial CAUTI, hence together with my fungal expertise, we are in a unique position to contribute to this important public health issue.