Our research focuses on bacterial amyloids (particularly curli) and their role in bacterial pathogenesis, autoimmunity and neurodegenerative diseases. We investigate how curli-containing biofilms and curli itself interact with the immune system and how their presence in the gut microbiome and/or during infections, can exacerbate conditions such as salmonella-induced Reactive Arthritis, Lupus, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. We also develop strategies to block bacterial amyloid formation and biofilms to mitigate their pathological effects.

We study how the immune system responds to infections, focusing on influenza, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica. We investigate both the induction and resolution of inflammation, examining how lipid mediators shape immune responses. Using mass spectrometry and imaging mass spectrometry, microbiome profiling, lung-on-a-chip models and transcriptional profiling, we investigate how the innate immune system is regulated during microbial infections. Our goal is to uncover new ways to modulate inflammation and improve treatments for infectious diseases.