Welcome to the McGavin Lab

Staphylococcus aureus can establish asymptomatic nasal carriage in approximately 15-25% of the human population, but is also a successful pathogen in several different guises, including (i), hospital associated multiply antibiotic resistant S. aureus (HA-MRSA); (ii), community associated and hyper-virulent methicillin resistant CA-MRSA; and (iii), community associated hyper-virulent methicillin-susceptible CA-MSSA. My research is aimed at understanding how secreted virulence factors, including serine- cysteine- and metalloproteases promote a rapid transition between the colonization and invasion phases of infection, and modify the host inflammatory response. From a population biology perspective, we are also identifying strains of S. aureus that specialize in chronic persistent infection, as compared to severe acute infections. This will allow us to better understand how S. aureus can control or evade the host inflammatory response, and possibly to understand how it may adapt and evolve in response to our efforts to control it with antibiotics.

Recent Publications:

Under construction