Juan received his B.S. in Microbiology with Honor’s Distinction from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1995. After graduation, Juan traveled to St. Louis, Missouri where he enrolled in the graduate training program in microbial pathogenesis in the Department of Microbiology at Washington University. Under the guidance of Professor Scott J. Hultgren, Juan studied the mechanisms by which type-1 piliated uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) bind to and enter into normally non-phagocytic bladder cells. His studies led to the identification of a fimbral tip protein, FimH, as necessary and sufficient in leading to bacterial uptake as well as the characterization of host proteins involved in the uptake process. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in 2001, Juan decided that he wanted to explore life on the other side of the ocean and began a post-doctoral fellowship at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France under the guidance of Professor Pascale Cossart. Juan was awarded fellowships from the EMBO, INSERM, and INRA to begin characterizing pathogenic mechanisms of the obligate intracellular tick-borne pathogen, Rickettsia conorii. His studies led to the discovery of the first adhesin-receptor pair involved in the entry of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsia in target human cells and opened several avenues of new research in this field. He joined the Department of Microbiology in October 2005.

 

Using a variety of different cell biology, molecular biology and biochemical approaches, Juan’s research investigates the molecular mechanisms governing R. conorii adhesion and invasion of target human cells with the hope of identifying putative targets that can be exploited for the development of novel anti-microbial therapies. Currently, there are several projects in the laboratory to define the roles of a family of bacterial outer membrane proteins termed Sca proteins, and their putative host cell receptors in the progression of SFG rickettsial pathogenesis using in vitro and in vivo models.

Martinez Lab website

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