Rate My Professor Jovanka Voyich

The Voyich Lab investigates host-pathogen interactions, emphasizing human neutrophils and Gram-positive pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Key findings include reciprocal communication between pathogens and hosts, where bacterial strains sense and respond to human stimuli rather than relying solely on new virulence factors. Research highlights the sophistication of gene regulation in S. aureus pathogenesis via the SaeR/S two-component system, which activates specific gene subsets based on host cues. Notable projects encompass neutrophil-S. aureus interactions determining infection outcomes, biogenesis of Lancefield Group A carbohydrate in S. pyogenes, and the influence of antecedent influenza A on S. aureus pneumonia. Select publications include 'Epic immune battles of history: neutrophils vs. Staphylococcus aureus' (2017, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology), 'Immune evasion by a staphylococcal inhibitor of myeloperoxidase' (2017, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), 'Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia by Staphylococcus aureus Following Influenza A Infection Is SaeR/S Dependent' (2018, The Journal of Infectious Diseases), and 'The Accessory Gene saeP of the SaeR/S Two-Component Gene Regulatory System Impacts Staphylococcus aureus Virulence During Neutrophil Interaction' (2020, Frontiers in Microbiology). Her work advances understanding of immune evasion, virulence regulation, and pathogen-host dynamics in infectious diseases.