Melanie Pearson

B.S. in Biomedical Sciences (Western Michigan University)

Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Michigan) 

Melanie’s research centers on the molecular mechanisms behind urinary tract infections caused by Proteus mirabilis. She is particularly interested in the opposing forces of adherence and motility: why does P. mirabilis encode so many fimbrial operons (typically 17)? What are their binding targets, and which contribute to UTI? Most of these fimbrial operons also encode a transcriptional regulator that represses flagella, and therefore, motility. However, these regulators also have other functions that we are in the process of uncovering. We hypothesize that these regulators are key to P. mirabilis adaptation to specific niches, whether in the mammalian body or in the environment.

Outside the lab, Melanie enjoys gardening, games (both electronic and tabletop), and music.

Melanie's Publications: PubMed