Understanding how infections persist and how immune defenses clear them.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death from infectious disease worldwide. The Rijal Lab studies how this and related bacterial pathogens persist inside host cells and how immune defenses succeed or fail in clearing infection. We focus on fundamental processes that determine intracellular persistence versus clearance, using complementary host and pathogen approaches to study conserved mechanisms of survival, stress tolerance, and immune control.
Our work centers on two areas: mycobacterial adaptation and antibiotic tolerance, and host pathways that support or restrict intracellular infection. We use genetic, cellular, and experimental systems to define processes that influence pathogen persistence and clearance and that are relevant to therapeutic development.
Research Focus Areas
Comparative experimental systems
Mycobacterial adaptation & antibiotic tolerance
Host pathways in intracellular infection
RIJAL LAB 