Sahana Kuthyar, MS, PhD

Secondary bacterial pneumonias, which occur after viral infections like SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, are top drivers of mortality during respiratory pandemics. These infections are increasingly antibiotic resistant, complicating treatment strategies. My study focuses on identifying unique metabolic pathways crucial for bacterial survival and virulence, which could serve as novel therapeutic targets against pneumonia. The first aim explores the role of oxygen-dependent taurine metabolism in secondary Enterobacteriaceae pathogens in culture-based systems and clinically relevant mouse models. The second aim examines how antecedent lung injury influences bacterial metabolic phenotypes in a secondary pneumonia patient cohort, aiming to uncover consistent and lineage-specific bacterial signatures of disease progression. Overall, my proposal seeks to provide insights into metabolic vulnerabilities that can be targeted to develop more effective interventions for secondary bacterial pneumonias.