1150 W Medical Center Dr / 5641 Med Sci II
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Available to mentor
I am a microbiologist by training, with specializations in bacterial genetics, molecular microbiology, Gram-negative bacteria, transcriptomics, and biofilm formation. I use these tools to study how bacteria cause human infectious diseases. My work over the last two decades focuses on the bacterial agents of urinary tract infections (UTIs). In particular, my interests center on the organism Proteus mirabilis.
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Postdoctoral Research FellowUniversity of Michigan, Microbiology and Immunology, 2010
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PhDUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 2004
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BSWestern Michigan University, Kalamazoo, 1997
• Pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial uropathogen Proteus mirabilis
• Chaperone-usher fimbriae and bacterial adherence/invasion during UTI
• Bacterial nutrition and physiology during UTI
• MrpJ: fimbria-associated regulator that controls transcription of known and suspected virulence genes
• Fimbria-associated MrpJ paralogs that form a complex gene regulatory network for P. mirabilis and related species
• Role of innate immunity during UTI
• Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
• Complicated and catheter-associated urinary tract infection
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Pearson MM, Shea AE, Pahil S, Smith SN, Forsyth VS, Mobley HLT. Infect Immun, 2023 Nov 16; 91 (11): e0035523Journal ArticleOrgan agar serves as physiologically relevant alternative for in vivo bacterial colonization.
DOI:10.1128/iai.00355-23 PMID: 37850748 -
Jiang W, Ubhayasekera W, Breed MC, Norsworthy AN, Serr N, Mobley HLT, Pearson MM, Knight SD. PLoS Pathog, 2020 Aug; 16 (8): e1008707Journal ArticleMrpH, a new class of metal-binding adhesin, requires zinc to mediate biofilm formation.
DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1008707 PMID: 32780778 -
2019BookProteus mirabilis
DOI:10.1007/978-1-4939-9601-8 -
Debnath I, Stringer AM, Smith SN, Bae E, Mobley HLT, Wade JT, Pearson MM. Infect Immun, 2018 Oct; 86 (10):Journal ArticleMrpJ Directly Regulates Proteus mirabilis Virulence Factors, Including Fimbriae and Type VI Secretion, during Urinary Tract Infection.
DOI:10.1128/IAI.00388-18 PMID: 30082479 -
Armbruster CE, Mobley HLT, Pearson MM. EcoSal Plus, 2018 Feb; 8 (1):Journal ArticlePathogenesis of Proteus mirabilis Infection.
DOI:10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0009-2017 PMID: 29424333 -
Norsworthy AN, Pearson MM. Trends Microbiol, 2017 Apr; 25 (4): 304 - 315.Journal ArticleFrom Catheter to Kidney Stone: The Uropathogenic Lifestyle of Proteus mirabilis.
DOI:10.1016/j.tim.2016.11.015 PMID: 28017513 -
Schaffer JN, Pearson MM. 2016 Apr 19; Urinary Tract Infections: Molecular Pathogenesis and Clinical Management, 383 - 433.ChapterProteus mirabilis and urinary tract infections
DOI:10.1128/9781555817404.ch17 -
Schaffer JN, Norsworthy AN, Sun T-T, Pearson MM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2016 Apr 19; 113 (16): 4494 - 4499.Journal ArticleProteus mirabilis fimbriae- and urease-dependent clusters assemble in an extracellular niche to initiate bladder stone formation.
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1601720113 PMID: 27044107