Assistant Professor


Research Area \ Research Statement \ Research Group Info

Research Area

Innate Immunology; Host–Pathogen Interactions; Macrophage Biology; Zebrafish Infection Models; Phagosome Maturation; Xenophagy/Autophagy; Molecular Immunology; Aquaculture Pathobiology; CRISPR/Cas9 Functional Genetics; Live and Confocal Imaging.

Research Statement

My research focuses on understanding how innate immune cells, especially macrophages, detect, engulf, and control microbial pathogens. I am particularly interested in the cellular mechanisms that determine whether a pathogen is eliminated or survives inside host cells. Using larval zebrafish as an in vivo model, I study host–pathogen interactions during fungal and mycobacterial infections with emphasis on phagosome maturation, lysosomal acidification, Rab5/Rab7 trafficking, and macrophage-restricted antimicrobial defense.

A major objective of my work is to define how defects in phagolysosomal function alter infection outcome. My recent research has examined the role of vacuolar ATPase-dependent acidification in macrophage-mediated defense against Aspergillus fumigatus, showing how impaired maturation of the phagosome permits fungal germination and invasive growth. This work integrates live confocal imaging, CRISPR/Cas9-based perturbation, quantitative image analysis, and infection assays.

More broadly, my research program aims to connect cell biology, immunology, and infection biology to identify mechanisms that can be targeted therapeutically. In parallel with my work on fungal pathogenesis, I am developing research directions in mycobacterial infection biology, host-directed therapy, and macrophage defense pathways. My long-term goal is to build a research program that combines experimental infection models, imaging-based immunobiology, and molecular genetics to address fundamental and translational questions in infectious disease biology. 

Research Group Info

The research group is interested in the cell biology of host defense, with a particular focus on macrophage–pathogen interactions during fungal and mycobacterial infections. We use larval zebrafish as a powerful in vivo system to visualize infection dynamics in real time and to investigate how intracellular trafficking, phagosome maturation, lysosomal function, and autophagy-related pathways shape antimicrobial immunity.

The group combines CRISPR/Cas9-based genetics, transgenic infection models, live and confocal microscopy, molecular assays, and quantitative image analysis. Current and emerging areas of interest include phagosome acidification, Rab5-to-Rab7 transition, lysosomal biology, xenophagy, and host-directed approaches for difficult-to-treat infections. The group also maintains a strong interest in aquaculture immunology and pathogen surveillance, reflecting earlier work on fungal diseases of fish.

Students joining the group can expect training in experimental design, infection biology, fluorescence imaging, molecular methods, and quantitative data analysis. The broader aim is to create an interdisciplinary research environment linking immunology, microbiology, cell biology, and translational infection research.