The Geisinger lab investigates the molecular basis of antibiotic resistance and disease development in infections with hospital-acquired pathogens.

Our primary focus is the troublesome microbe Acinetobacter baumannii, a frequent cause of pneumonia and sepsis in intensive care units that has developed resistance to virtually all clinically useful antibiotics. We explore fundamental aspects of the bacterium’s biology that are critical for both drug resistance and pathogenesis, including regulatory networks hardwired to amplify resistance and virulence upon detection of antimicrobial stress. We employ a variety of tools ranging from systems biology and molecular genetics to animal models of infection.  Over the long-term this research aims to inform the development of alternative or adjuvant antimicrobials targeted at hospital-acquired diseases.