Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Dr Elizabeth Chan

Research Associate

Background

Personal Information


I am a postdoc working with Prof Tracy Palmer and am part of the Microbes in Health and Disease Theme at the Newcastle University Biosciences Institute. I am currently studying the regulation and impact of the Type VII secretion system on mycobacterial fitness and virulence.


Qualifications


PhD in Microbiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

BS in Microbiology, Certificate in Liberal Arts and Management, Indiana University Bloomington


Previous Positions


Postdoctoral Research Associate, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London



Research

Current Work


I have a longstanding interest in microbial pathogens and their ability to manipulate basic physiological structures and processes to thrive in host organisms and cause disease. In my current role with MHD and Prof Tracy Palmer, I will investigate how Mycobacterium uses the type 7 secretion system to flourish in its chosen niche.


Main Expertise


I use multidisciplinary approaches to answer basic questions in important human pathogens. I am skilled at picking up new skills to advance my research, which include genetic manipulation, biochemistry, super-resolution microscopy, cell culture infections and bioinformatics techniques . My overarching goal is to understand how and when bacteria that are usually not pathogenic (for example, Mycobacterium abscessus, which can be found in soil) transition to a pathogenic state (such as when M. abscessus causes chronic lung infections).

Publications