Craig E. Rubens, MD, PhD

Overview

Board Certification(s)

Pediatrics

Medical/Professional School

University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, Immunology and Microbiology
University of Washington, Seattle

Residency

Pediatrics, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle

Clinical Interests

Prevention of Prematurity

Research Description

I have a long-standing research program on the molecular pathogenesis of bacterial perinatal infections. Group B streptococci (GBS) are a major cause of perinatal infections, including intrauterine infections, and pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants. Using this organism, I have explored how this pathogen causes disease using molecular techniques, cell, and animal models that emulate human reproductive infections during pregnancy and infection of the neonate during parturition. Molecular approaches are used to identify the genetic and biochemical basis of specific bacterial virulence traits?such as epithelial/endothelial cell entry and transcytosis, evasion of innate immune mechanisms by inhibiting complement activation and phagocytic uptake, and microbial survival in various host environments (bloodstream, reproductive system, and neonatal lung).

My laboratory pioneered genetic techniques to identify the genes and biosynthetic mechanisms important for the production of capsular polysaccharide and other virulence traits by GBS. Projects also include characterizing the early stages of bacterial pneumonia by investigating the host/pathogen interactions using genomic and proteomic techniques. This project characterizes the bacterial response to the lung airway, specific traits critical for microbial persistence in the face of lung innate immunity, and has begun to characterize the host airway proteome for the proteins and other factors that contribute to innate immune mechanisms.

Recently, my laboratory is developing a model to understand the mechanisms of infection-induced preterm labor and premature birth. This model explores how bacteria ascend in the female reproductive track to incite inflammation during pregnancy that leads to preterm labor and intra-amniotic infection. Insights from the above studies have begun to identify new means of preventing or treating pneumonia, preterm labor, perinatal bacterial infections, and improving reproductive outcomes.

Lab URL

http://www.gappsseattle.org/

Research Focus Area

Host: Pathogen Interaction

Awards and Honors

Publications