Postdoc Research Associate

Email: j.quigley@northeastern.edu

Research Interests
I study the obligate human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis. Mtb is one of the leading causes of death by a single infectious agent with cases of multi- and extreme-drug resistant tuberculosis on the rise. This highlights the need to better understand mechanisms of drug resistance as well as identify new antibiotics targeting Mtb. My research in the Lewis lab focuses on understanding the mechanism by which a subset of Mtb cells are able to survive a high dose of antibiotic while the bulk of the population succumbs to treatment. These cells are commonly referred to as persisters and are believed to be a main driver behind the development of antibiotic tolerance and resistance. Additionally, I work closely with members of our natural product discovery team to identify potential new antibiotics targeting Mtb and determine their mechanism of action.