We want to foster a collaborative and dynamic learning environment that drives innovation and empowers trainees to excel in their chosen area. Our research group is interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms modulating the epidemiology and emergence of enteric bacterial pathogens.
We are currently focusing on understanding how Clostridioides difficile is able to survive reactive chemical species that it encounters in the host and how this can impact its pathogenesis. We are also seeking to understand the emergence of antibiotic resistance to current C. difficile drugs and how to circumvent this problem. To investigate these, we employ various approaches, including molecular genetics, omics (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics), transposon mutagenesis, infection modeling (vertebrate and invertebrate), and drug screening.
Our long-term goal is to leverage the fundamental knowledge gained from our studies for the development of alternative therapeutic agents to combat the growing problem of bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance.
We are a new lab and are always happy to connect with motivated and talented students who are interested in microbial pathogenesis. If you are interested in joining our research group, please send your CV, academic transcript (for UWaterloo students) and a one-page statement of interest to aolaitan@uwaterloo.ca.