The laboratory of the Georgia Emerging Infections Program focuses on molecular epidemiology of invasive bacterial pathogens of public health importance such as Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Current research includes:
- Prevalence of antibiotic heteroresistance in multidrug-resistant bacteria and its role in clinical treatment failures
- Characterization of an emergent Haemophilus influenzae clone with a unique pathogenic presentation
- Molecular epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis colonization in college students
- Long term impact of PCV7 and PCV13 on Pneumococcal colonization in children
Lab Director
Sarah Satola, PhD
Dr. Satola received her Ph.D. degree in Microbiology and Immunology from Emory University in 1992 studying the regulation of developmentally controlled promoters in the bacterium, Bacillus subtilis and was the recipient of an NIH training award in Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology. Dr. Satola completed her postdoctoral training at Emory University under Dr. Monica M. Farley studying virulence mechanisms of Haemophilus influenzae and the role of pili in mucosal attachment and pathogenesis.
From 1998-2002, Dr. Satola was a Staff Scientist and Researcher at the Atlanta VA Medical Center where she continued her research on the molecular pathogenesis of Haemophilus influenzae. Dr. Satola is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Director of the Investigational Clinical Microbiology Core at Emory University School of Medicine, and the Director of the Georgia Emerging Infections Program Laboratory.
