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Staff Profile

Dr Elizabeth Chan

Research Associate

  • Email: elizabeth.chan@ncl.ac.uk
  • Address: Catherine Cookson Building
    Â鶹´«Ã½
    Â鶹´«Ã½-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH
Background

Personal Information


I am a postdoc working with Prof Tracy Palmer and am part of the Microbes in Health and Disease Theme at the Â鶹´«Ã½ Biosciences Institute. I am currently studying the regulation and impact of the Type VII secretion system on mycobacterial fitness and virulence.


Qualifications


PhD in Microbiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

BS in Microbiology, Certificate in Liberal Arts and Management, Indiana University Bloomington


Previous Positions


Postdoctoral Research Associate, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London



Research

Current Work


I have a longstanding interest in microbial pathogens and their ability to manipulate basic physiological structures and processes to thrive in host organisms and cause disease. In my current role with MHD and Prof Tracy Palmer, I will investigate how Mycobacterium uses the type 7 secretion system to flourish in its chosen niche.


Main Expertise


I use multidisciplinary approaches to answer basic questions in important human pathogens. I am skilled at picking up new skills to advance my research, which include genetic manipulation, biochemistry, super-resolution microscopy, cell culture infections and bioinformatics techniques . My overarching goal is to understand how and when bacteria that are usually not pathogenic (for example, Mycobacterium abscessus, which can be found in soil) transition to a pathogenic state (such as when M. abscessus causes chronic lung infections).

Publications

  • Articles

    • Kalizang'oma A, Chan JM, Kalua K, Bonomali F, Brown C, Msefula J, Chaima D, Samikwa L, Meleke H, Hart JD, Craik A, Chaguza C, Cave R, Cornick J, Kwambana-Adams B, Bentley SD, Mwalukomo T, Van Breevoort D, Bailey R, Ibarz-Pavon AB, Heyderman RS. . Lancet Infectious Diseases 2025, 25(10), 1116-1127.
    • Harris-Jones TN, Chan JM, Hackett KT, Weyand NJ, Schaub RE, Dillard JP. . Infection and Immunity 2024, 92(5), e0000424.
    • Dillard JP, Chan JM. . Current Protocols 2024, 4(9), e70000.
    • Kalizang'oma A, Swarthout TD, Mwalukomo TS, Kamng'ona A, Brown C, Msefula J, Demetrious H, Chan JM, Roalfe L, Obolski U, Lourenco J, Goldblatt D, Chaguza C, French N, Heyderman RS. . Journal of Infectious Diseases 2024, 230(1), e189–e198.
    • Chan JM, Ramos-Sevillano E, Betts M, Wilson HU, Weight CM, Houhou-Ousalah A, Pollara G, Brown JS, Heyderman RS. . Infection and Immunity 2024, 92(5), e0044723.
    • Obolski U, Swarthout TD, Kalizang'oma A, Mwalukomo TS, Chan JM, Weight CM, Brown C, Cave R, Cornick J, Kamng'ona AW, Msefula J, Ercoli G, Brown JS, Lourenco J, Maiden MC, French N, Gupta S, Heyderman RS. . Nature Communications 2023, 14, 7477.
    • Kalizang'oma A, Kwambana-Adams B, Chan JM, Viswanath A, Gori A, Richard D, Jolley KA, Lees J, Goldblatt D, Beleza S, Bentley SD, Heyderman RS, Chaguza C. . Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2023, 61(1), e00802-22.
    • Chan JM, Hackett KT, Woodhams KL, Schaub RE, Dillard JP. . Infection and Immunity 2022, 90(3), e0048521.
    • Gori A, Harrison OB, Mlia E, Nishihara Y, Chan JM, Msefula J, Mallewa M, Dube Q, Swarthout TD, Nobbs AH, Maiden MCJ, French N, Heyderman RS. Pan-GWAS of Streptococcus agalactiae highlights lineage-specific genes associated with virulence and niche adaptations. mBio 2020, 11(3), e00728-20.
    • Chan JM, Dillard JP. Neisseria gonorrhoeae crippled its peptidoglycan fragment permease to facilitate toxic peptidoglycan monomer release. Journal of Bacteriology 2016, 198(21), 3029-3040.
    • Chan JM, Guttenplan SB, Kearns DB. Defects in the flagellar motor increase synthesis of poly-y-glutamate in Bacillus subtilis. Journal of Bacteriology 2014, 196(4), 740-753.
    • Woodhams KL, Chan JM, Lenz JD, Hackett KT, Dillard JP. Peptidoglycan fragment release from Neisseria meningitidis. Infection and Immunity 2013, 81(9), 3490-3498.

  • Reviews

    • Wall EC, Chan JM, Gil E, Heyderman RS. . Current Opinion in Neurology 2021, 34(3), 386-395.
    • Chan JM, Gori A, Nobbs AH, Heyderman RS. Streptococcal Serine-Rich Repeat Proteins in Colonization and Disease. Frontiers in Microbiology 2020, 11, 593356.
    • Chan JM, Dillard JP. Attention seeker: Production, modification, and release of inflammatory peptidoglycan fragments in Neisseria species. Journal of Bacteriology 2017, 199(20), e00354-17.