University of Alabama at Birmingham · Microbiology & ImmunologyPneumococcal Pathogenesis Research Group
Carlos J Orihuela · Birmingham, Alabama
Research Focus
Dr. Carlos Orihuela's lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham focuses on understanding how the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae invades organs during infections. By exploring the molecular mechanisms behind its attachment to cells and its ability to evade the immune response, the lab aims to improve strategies for vaccine design. Their research is crucial for developing better approaches to prevent severe illnesses caused by this pathogen.
Streptococcus pneumoniaebacteremiaorgan invasionvaccine designendocytosis
Research Aims
3AIM 01Determine how serotype impacts attachment and uptake of Streptococcus pneumoniae by vascular endothelial cells.
AIM 02Investigate how serotype influences the intracellular path taken by Streptococcus pneumoniae for translocation.
AIM 03Assess how capsule shedding affects the fate of Streptococcus pneumoniae within vascular endothelial cells.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureimmunofluorescencemouse modelsmolecular cloningWestern blotRNA sequencingflow cytometrybiochemical assays
Output against the department
Publications168top 39% of dept.190th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.7kbottom 48% of dept.251st 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.