You are here: Home → People → Eric Harvill
 
Document Actions

Eric Harvill

Study systems include

Bordetella: closely-related subspecies differing in virulence and gene expression (B.pertussis, B.parapertussis and B.bronchiseptica)

Laboratory in-vitro and in-vivo studies (using a mouse model)

Selected publications

Joo J, Gunny M, Cases M, Hudson P, Albert R & Harvill ET (2006) Bacteriophage-mediated competition in Bordetella bacteria. Proc. Roy. Soc. B.

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, Bjornstad ON & Harvill ET (2005). Pertussis toxin inhibits neutrophil recruitment to delay antibody-mediated clearance of Bordetella pertussis. J. Clin. Invest. 115: 3594-3601

Wolfe DN, GS Kirimanjeswara & Harvill ET (2005) Clearance of B. parapertussis from the lower respiratory tract requires both humoral and cellular immunity. Infection & Immunity 73: 6508-6513

Bjornstad ON & Harvill ET (2005). Evolution and emergence of Bordetella in humans. Trends in Microbiology 13: 355-359.

Eric Harvill

Associate Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Disease

Email: harvill@psu.edu

Phone: 814-863-8522

Office: 125 Henning Building

Research interests

I investigate how host and pathogen characteristics and host dynamics affect the spread of respiratory infection within individuals and host populations. My group has four main research areas:

Virulence factors

  • Effects of bacterial virulence factors on infection pathology and immune response to infection within a host
  • How bacterial virulence factors such as toxins affect the dynamics of transmission between hosts (e.g. by lengthening infectious period)

Host immune functions

  • Mechanisms of immune-mediated bacterial clearance: how they differ between organs of the respiratory tract

Genomics

Comparing genomes of closely-related pathogens to investigate important questions such as:

  • Which bacterial factors determine host specificity
  • How animal pathogens adapt to infect humans
  • What determines the severity of pathology
  • How bacteria cause persistent infections that last for the life of the host

Phylodynamics

  • Emergence of human pathogens from commensals of agricultural and companion animals
    The transmission and dynamics of disease within populations

For more about Eric Harvill, see:
Personal tools