Medical College of Wisconsin School of Graduate Studies U1-Research 2F Microscope Lab-Grad-hero
Joseph Rouse

Joseph Rouse

Graduate Student

Locations

  • Microbiology & Immunology

Contact Information

Biography

Mentor: Rob Lochhead, PhD
Year Entered MCW: 2018
Previous Education: BS, Molecular Biology & Informatics, MS, Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Research Interests

I am interested in host-pathogen interactions.  My research focus is on the immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease.  Infection from this pathogen can result in several stages of symptoms, some persisting long after bacterial clearance by antibiotic treatment, such as arthritis.  This is thought to be due to dysregulation of antigen presentation, and subsequent autoimmunity, that may occur during infection.  Our lab aims to investigate how the immune response becomes disrupted, which cell types are affected, and what bacterial components are responsible.