Duke University · GeneticsThe Fungal Pathogen Initiative
Joseph Heitman · Durham, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Joseph Heitman's lab at Duke University focuses on understanding how certain fungi, particularly Cryptococcus and Mucor species, can cause infections in humans and develop resistance to antifungal drugs. His team investigates molecular pathways related to stress response and virulence, aiming to discover new therapeutic targets for these serious pathogens. The research is crucial for improving treatment strategies for infections that are particularly deadly in immunocompromised individuals like those with HIV/AIDS.
CryptococcusMucorcalcineurinantimicrobial resistanceRNA interferencefungal pathogenesisepimutationstress responsevirulence mechanisms
Research Aims
5AIM 01Elucidate the roles of calcineurin in regulating stress response and virulence in Cryptococcus.
AIM 02Characterize the interactions of calcineurin with proteins during temperature stress.
AIM 03Define the mechanisms of epimutation that lead to antimicrobial resistance in Mucor species.
AIM 04Investigate the impact of host-pathogen interactions on the emergence of epimutations.
AIM 05Develop novel antifungal therapies based on the insights gained from this research.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturePCRRNA sequencingChIP-seqanimal disease modelsflow cytometryproteomicsgenetic analysismicroscopy
Output against the department
Publications1,081top 5% of dept.12th of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations61ktop 10% of dept.25th of 259
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.