Population Biology of Infectious Disease

Evolutionary Genetics & Molecular Epidemiology
The laboratory studies the evolutionary genetics, molecular epidemiology and spread of the global meningitis pathogen Neisseria meningitidis.

Recent publications:

• Kahler CM, Blum E, Miller YK, Ryan D, Popovic T, Stephens DS. "exl, an exchangeable genetic island in Neisseria meningitidis." Infect Immun 2001; 69:1687-96.
• Dolan-Livengood JM, Miller YK, Kahler CM, Reeves M, Ajello G, and Stephens DS. "Genetic basis for nongroupable Neisseria meningitidis." J Infect Dis 2003; 187:1616-28.
• Gay K, Stephens DS. "Structure and dissemination of a chromosomal insertion element encoding macrolide efflux in Streptococcus pneumoniae." J Infect Dis 2001; 184:56-65.

Evolution of Drug Resistance
The laboratory investigates the emergence and spread of macrolide resistance and the macrolide efflux pump, mega, in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Recent publications:

• Stephens DS, Zughaier SM, Whitney CG, Baughman WS, Barker L, Gay K, Jackson D, Orenstein WA, Arnold K, Schuchat A, Farley MM, and the Georgia Emerging Infections Program. "Incidence of macrolide resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae after introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine: population-based assessment." Lancet 2005; 365:855-63.

website: http://medicine.emory.edu/id/index.cfm