Educations / Professional Experience

Educations

1996 –2002

Ph. D. Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, USA

1987 –1992

B.V.M. Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

Current Position

2012~present

Associate Professor, Institute of Molecular Medicine, National ChengKung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

Professional Experience

2004 - 2009

Assistant Professor, Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

2012 - 2013

Post-doctoral fellow, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore,Maryland, USA

2007/6  - 2007/6

Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland, Division of Infectious Diseases, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

1999 - 2004

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Science, Co University, Ithaca, New York, USA

1998 - 1999

Research Assistant, Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Tawan

1996 - 1997

Veterinarian, Chung Sun Animal Clinic, Yung Ho City, Taiwan

Expertise /Research Interests

Immunology/DNA vaccine; mucosal and cellular immunity

Research Interests

Due to wide use and abuse of antimicrobial agents, the rapid emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacte becomes a global health concern. It is necessary to develop novel strategies to prevent and treat bacterial infectious diseases. The long term goal of our laboratory is to develop such strategies. The knowledge of the bacterial pathogenes required to achieve this goal. Therefore, we proceed from understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. Escherichia coli have been used as the model bacteria for studying the bacterial pathogenesis in our labor Currently, we are mainly focusing on the neonatal meningitis pathogenic E. coli (NMEC) and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC).

E. coli neonatal meningitis usually develops through several steps of bacteria–host interactions. These include muc colonization by the pathogens (usually upper respiratory or gastrointestinal tract), microbial invasion of the intravascular space, and followed by intravascular survival and multiplication resulting in bacteremia. After reaching a threshold level bacteremia (>103 colony forming units per milliliter of blood), NMEC penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB) and invades central nervous system to cause meningitis. We are investigating the mechanisms by which NMEC survive in the blood- stream and invade the BBB.

UPEC is the most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs), including acute cystitis, pyelonephritis, and uros It is widely accepted that UPEC mainly emerges from the distal gut microbiot. To cause ascending UTI, UPEC needs to overcome and adapt to different distinct host environments, such as the bladder, the kidneys, and even the blood stream Accordingly, UPEC tends to be distinct from the commensal E. coli strains in the intestinal tract in having extra virulence genes allowing their successful transition from the intestinal tract to the urinary tract. We are currently investigating the uropathogenic roles of E. coli genes that exhibit significantly higher frequencies among UPEC strains than the fecal commensal strains.

Research

Directions