Global Enterics Laboratory
Email Dr. Harris: jbharris@mgh.harvard.edu
Email Dr. LaRocque: rclarocque@mgh.harvard.edu
Call: 617-643-5564
Overview
We are a basic and translational research laboratory within an academic hospital. Our research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
We are committed to studying infectious disease topics of high clinical significance and to training investigators at all levels of experience, including individuals from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences and medicine. We are invested in bi-directional international collaborations that enhance clinical and research capacity for all partners.
Research Projects
B cell Responses to Cholera and Enteric Infections
Antibodies secreted at the mucosal surface are critical mediators of protection against enteric infection. Our current work is focused on how these antibodies interact with the innate immune system to protect against cholera and other mucosal infections.
Klebsiella infection
Klebsiella species with antimicrobial resistance are increasingly important global pathogens. We are working on clinical and in vitro studies to understand the human immune response to Klebsiella, and to better understand how host-responses impact the course of invasive infection.
Importation of Highly Drug-Resistant Organisms into the U.S. by International Travelers
International travelers frequently acquire highly drug-resistant organisms in the gut. Our research focuses on the risk factors for acquiring resistant organisms and evaluates duration of carriage, household transmission and associated illness. Through collaboration with Ashlee Earl and Colin Worby of the Bacterial Genomics Group of the Broad Institute of Harvard/MIT, we use a combination of single isolate genome sequencing and metagenomic sequencing to determine resistance mechanisms, genetic links to geographic origins and microbiome perturbation.
Global TravEpiNet (GTEN)
We support the laboratory studies of Global TravEpiNet, a nationwide consortium of travel clinics focused on disease prevention in U.S. international travelers.