We recently discovered that pneumococcal bacteria can also survive intracellularly within dendritic cells and lung alveolar macrophages pneumococci by avoiding fusion with the bactericidal lysosomes and remain viable with the macrophages. In this manner, the macrophages serve as a "silent" persistent reservoir for the bacteria to reestablish colonization and thereby transmit itself to new hosts. Our lab is interested to study the mechanisms that promote bacterial survival within host cells and immunophenotype macrophages that are permissive to bacterial survival.

Although pneumococci are commensal bacteria colonizing the nasophayrnx, under certain conditions they can migrate to the lungs and other organs such as ear, brain, heart to cause invasive diseases. Our lab is interested to study the mechanisms underlying how the bacterial adapt to the different niches and understand why colonization does not confer immunity against re-infection.