Christopher LaRock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Associate Professor
- (404) 727-1574
- christopher.larock@emory.edu
- Scholar
- Bluesky
- Web
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Emory University School of Medicine
Microbiology and Immunology
1510 Clifton Rd., 3rd Floor RRC
Overview
Dr. LaRock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, the Center for Childhood Infections & Vaccines, and the Antimicrobial Resistance Center. His awards include Giannini (Bank of America) Foundation Fellowship, an NIH/NIAID K award, two Emory 1% awards, and he is a current Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease. He is highly active in graduate education and serves as the Director of the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Training Program.
His multidisciplinary team is broadly interested in the fundamental principles governing host-pathogen interactions. A major focus is inflammation and cell death during invasive infections by group A Streptococcus (S. pyogenes; strep throat, erysipelas, toxic shock syndrome, necrotizing fasciitis) with interest in many other bacterial pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus (skin infections), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (opportunistic/cystic fibrosis infections), and Yersinia pestis (bubonic plague/biodefense threat). These works define new molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and immunity, in-born and pharmaceutical risk factors for infection, and novel therapeutics for difficult infections. The lab is interested in collaborations broadly across the basic and medical sciences and has a diverse set of tools from biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology, and immunology to better understand pathogenesis and treatment failure through in vitro and in vivo models.
Key words: Host-Pathogen Interaction; Bacterial Pathogenesis; Virulence Factor; Protease; Phosphatase; Inflammasome; Death; Pyroptosis; Inflammation; Streptococcus; Probiotics; Microbiome; Antibiotic; Antimicrobial
Academic Appointment
- Associate Professor, Microbiology & Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine
- Associate Professor, Medicine, Division of Infecious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine
Education
Degrees
- BSc from Michigan State University
- PhD from University of Washington, Seattle
- Post-doc from University of California, San Diego
Research
Publications
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Pentamidine inhibition of streptopain attenuates Streptococcus pyogenes virulence.
03/12/2025 Authors: Trivedi K; LaRock CN -
Proinflammatory synergy between protease and superantigen streptococcal pyogenic exotoxins.
Infect Immun Volume: 93 Page(s): e0040524
03/11/2025 Authors: Johnson AF; Bushman SD; LaRock DL; Daz JM; McCormick JK; LaRock CN -
Protocol for 3D bioprinting of nanoparticle-laden hydrogels to enhance antibacterial and imaging properties.
STAR Protoc Volume: 5 Page(s): 103393
12/20/2024 Authors: Amoli MS; Jin L; Rezapourdamanab S; Saadeh M; Singh Y; Ning L; Hwang B; Tomov ML; LaRock CN; Mahmoudi M -
Human microglial cells as a therapeutic target in a neurodevelopmental disease model.
Stem Cell Reports Volume: 19 Page(s): 1074 - 1091
08/13/2024 Authors: Mesci P; LaRock CN; Jeziorski JJ; Nakashima H; Chermont N; Ferrasa A; Herai RH; Ozaki T; Saleh A; Snethlage CE -
Improved Methodology for Evaluating Nanomedicine Antibacterial Properties in Biological Fluids.
ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci Volume: 7 Page(s): 855 - 862
03/08/2024 Authors: Ashkarran AA; Sharifi S; LaRock CN; Mahmoudi M -
Group A Streptococcus interactions with the host across time and space.
Curr Opin Microbiol Volume: 77 Page(s): 102420
02/01/2024 Authors: Guerra S; LaRock C -
Engineered probiotic overcomes pathogen defences using signal interference and antibiotic production to treat infection in mice.
Nat Microbiol Volume: 9 Page(s): 502 - 513
02/01/2024 Authors: Do H; Li Z-R; Tripathi PK; Mitra S; Guerra S; Dash A; Weerasekera D; Makthal N; Shams S; Aggarwal S -
Detoxification of reactive oxygen species by the hyaluronic acid capsule of group A Streptococcus.
Infect Immun Volume: 91 Page(s): e0025823
11/16/2023 Authors: Wilde S; Dash A; Johnson A; Mackey K; Okumura CYM; LaRock CN -
Constitutive secretion of pro-IL-18 allows keratinocytes to initiate inflammation during bacterial infection.
PLoS Pathog Volume: 19 Page(s): e1011321
04/01/2023 Authors: Johnson AF; Sands JS; Trivedi KM; Russell R; LaRock DL; LaRock CN -
Chemical Optimization of Selective Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasB Elastase Inhibitors and Their Impact on LasB-Mediated Activation of IL-1 in Cellular and Animal Infection Models.
ACS Infect Dis Volume: 9 Page(s): 270 - 282
02/10/2023 Authors: Everett MJ; Davies DT; Leiris S; Sprynski N; Llanos A; Castandet JM; Lozano C; LaRock CN; LaRock DL; Corsica G