Mary Kennett
Director, Animal Resource Program
Professor, Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
Email: mjk26@psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-1495
Fax: 814-865-3685
Office: 101 Centralized Biological Laboratory
Research
My primary research interest is the pathogenesis of infectious disease, in particular, identification and characterization of virulence factors involved in:
- Initial colonization of the host
- Mucosal immune responses
This research currently focuses on Bordetella bronchiseptica, B. pertussis and B. parapertussis infections in transgenic and immunocompromised mice. We are investigating the pathogenesis of respiratory infections and the specific immune responses involved in clearing bacteria from the upper and lower respiratory tract.
My other interests include laboratory animal resource management, comparative medicine, animal behavior and well being, and the preventative and clinical veterinary care of research animals.
Study systems
Bordetella
Bacillus anthracis (Sterne strain)
Selected publications
Loving CL, Kennett M, Lee GM, Grippe VK, Merkel TJ (2007) Murine aerosol challenge model of anthrax. Infect Immun. 75: 2689-98
Mann P, Goebel E, Barbarich J, Pilione MR, Kennett M, Harvill ET (2007) Use of a genetically defined double mutant strain of Bordetella bronchiseptica lacking adenylate cyclase and type III secretion as a live vaccine. Infect Immun. 75: 3665-72.
Pilione MR, Agosto LM, Kennett MJ & Harvill ET (2006) CD11b is required for the resolution of inflammation induced by Bordetella bronchiseptica respiratory infection. Cellular Microbiology 8: 758-768
Kirimanjeswara GS, Agosto LM, Kennett MJ, Bjørnstad ON & Harvill ET (2005). Pertussis toxin inhibits neutrophil recruitment to delay antibody-mediated clearance of Bordetella pertussis. J. Clin. Invest. 115: 3594-3601
Kirimanjeswara GS, Mann PB, Pilione MR, Kennett MJ & Harvill ET (2005) The complex mechanism of antibody-mediated clearance of Bordetella from the lungs requires TLR4. J Immunol. 175:7504-7511
Mann PB, Elder KD, Kennett MJ & Harvill ET (2004). Toll-like receptor 4-dependent early elicited tumor necrosis factor alpha expression is critical for innate host defense against Bordetella bronchiseptica. Infection & Immunity 72: 6650-6658
» For my full publication list, click here.