University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Microbiology & ImmunologyUrinary Pathogen Research Lab
Mark T. Anderson · Ann Arbor, Michigan
Research Focus
Dr. Mark T. Anderson's lab at the University of Michigan focuses on understanding how a specific type of bacteria, known as uropathogenic E. coli, causes urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly in women of different ages. The lab studies the behavior of these bacteria from the initial colonization in the urinary tract to the development of acute infections. By comparing gene expression in young and postmenopausal women, the team aims to uncover how these infections occur and identify potential target for new treatments and prevention strategies.
E. coliurinary tract infectionsgene expressionpostmenopausal womenpathogenesisvirulence factorsanimal modelspublic health
Research Aims
5AIM 01Analyze the gene expression program of E. coli during urinary tract infections in young women.
AIM 02Study the differences in UPEC gene expression in postmenopausal women to address recurrent infections.
AIM 03Identify the molecular mechanisms that enable rapid bacterial growth in the urinary tract.
AIM 04Investigate how UPEC interacts with the host immune response during infection.
AIM 05Develop targeted prevention strategies based on identified bacterial virulence factors.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturemouse modelsgene expression analysisRNA sequencingmetabolite profilingdata analysismicrobial assaysstatistical modeling
Output against the department
Publications47bottom 10% of dept.438th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.8kbottom 18% of dept.398th of 486
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.