The Gonzalez-Juarrero laboratory focuses on the immune pathogenesis and development of aerosol therapies for mycobacterial diseases with primary emphasis on tuberculosis (TB) and non-tuberculous (NTM) diseases. Specifically, we want to understand how to enhance the antimicrobial activity in the infected host and characterize how these therapies affect the immunopathology of the disease, with an end goal of improved treatment therapies against multidrug-resistant infections.
We have developed several experimental animal models that allows for testing of aerosolized anti-TB and anti-NTM drugs. We test for efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of immunomodulators/antibiotics and study the temporal and spatial relationships of immune biomarkers during the stages of disease and therapy. Studies are done by a team of research scientists in close collaboration with other scientists in the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories and serve to build a new generation of scientists by training graduate and undergraduate students.
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Dr. Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarerro was a part of a team that uncovered an intriguing link between the efficacy of the world’s only licensed tuberculosis vaccine, and the environmental pathogens that people all over the world live with every day.
Dr. Merecedes Gonzalez-Juarrero co-authored a journal article about the discovery of drugs used to treat malaria are also effective at treating a pulmonary disease similar to tuberculosis.
Dr. Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero was part of a team to find contact with armadillos could cause leprosy.
contact information
Lab: Microbiology room B230
Office: Microbiology room C223
Office: (970) 491-7306, Lab: (970) 491-1628
[email protected]