University of California-San Francisco · BiochemistryFungal Pathogen Genetics Lab
Hiten D Madhani · San Francisco, California
Research Focus
Dr. Hiten D Madhani's lab focuses on understanding the genetic factors that influence the behaviour and evolution of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, the leading cause of fungal meningitis. They explore how different genetic backgrounds affect the pathogen's ability to infect hosts and respond to treatments. By generating genomic resources and employing cutting-edge techniques like CRISPR, the lab aims to provide critical insights that could help develop new therapies for treating invasive fungal infections.
Cryptococcus neoformansfungal meningitispathogen evolutiongenetic variationimmune response manipulationCRISPR/Cas9genomic resourceshost-pathogen interactionsepistasismyeloid cells
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how genetic background influences gene essentiality in Cryptococcus neoformans.
AIM 02Determine the role of specific genes in the fitness of the pathogen within mammalian hosts.
AIM 03Explore the effects of the pathogen's genetic variation on its ability to induce immune responses.
AIM 04Create a comprehensive collection of genetically modified C. neoformans strains for community use.
AIM 05Develop a genetic interaction map that elucidates the pathways critical for fungal virulence.
Skills the Lab Values
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editinggene knockout techniquesanimal models of diseasemacrophage cell culturegenomic sequencingdata analysis with genomic toolsexperimental evolutionimmunological assaysbioinformaticsmicroscopy
Output against the department
Publications170top 50% of dept.203rd of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations14ktop 35% of dept.142nd of 402
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.