Dr. Jeffrey Chen is a molecular microbiologist with a research focus on mycobacteria - the genus of bacteria whose members cause human and bovine tuberculosis (TB), leprosy, Buruli ulcer, non-tuberculous mycobacterioses (NTM) and Johne’s disease in ruminants. He holds a BSc (Honours) in marine biology and biochemistry from Dalhousie University, and a PhD in molecular genetics and microbiology from the University of Toronto. He then did a post-doctoral fellowship at the Global Health Institute of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. Dr. Chen joined VIDO in 2014 to establish and lead the Mycobacterial Pathogenesis and Tuberculosis Research Program.
Dr. Chen employs mycobacterial genetics, biochemistry and molecular microbiology techniques, and novel animal models to better understand the basic physiology, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and mechanisms of virulence and immunopathology of TB-causing Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) bacteria. Using this knowledge, Dr. Chen and his research team have sought to develop more effective TB vaccines and therapies.
Research Themes in Dr. Chen’s lab:
- Mycobacterial virulence factors and their roles in host-pathogen interactions as well as immunopathogenesis
- Studying TB in novel animal models such as livestock and wild-life species
- Developing new and better anti-TB vaccines and drugs
Current Projects:
- The MTBC type-7 secretion system ESX-1 – mechanisms of action and roles in virulence
- Bioactive MTBC cell wall lipids, glycans and glycolipids – deployment and roles in immunopathogenesis
- Studies of TB and disease mitigation strategies in alternative animal models like the domestic pig and in livestock and wildlife species