Professor, Division of Human Biology
Professor, Public Health Sciences Division
Affiliate Professor, Basic Sciences Division
Affiliate  Professor, University of Washington Department of Microbiology

I am involved in projects that aim to understand the epidemiological impacts and genomic diversity of H. pylori using droplet digital PCR. I also help ensure that things run as smoothly as possible in the lab.

I am interested in how Helicobacter pylori adapts to the hostile and ever-changing environment of the host gastric epithelium. I use next-gen sequencing data to look at large, structural genetic polymorphisms that arise over chronic colonization. I characterize the functional effects of these polymorphisms using an array of molecular tools, proteomics, and microscopy.

My work is focused on understanding the mechanisms governing the unique helical cell shape formation of H. pylori. I am investigating the function and dynamics of cell shape determining proteins and their impacts on peptidoglycan synthesis patterns using a variety of bacterial genetics and microscopy techniques. 

My research expertise is in chronic bacterial infections and their impact on the host. In the Salama lab I am using mouse models and human tissue samples to investigate the molecular mechanism(s) through which chronic Helicobacter pylori infection leads to the development of gastric cancer.

As a research technician I aid the rest of the staff in their various projects while at the same time carrying out tasks to make sure things in lab run appropriately. On top of this, I’m also trying to understand how H. pylori could affect the stomach of mice at a molecular and morphological level.

I am interested in how Helicobacter pylori infection impacts gastric cell biology to promote cancer development. To investigate this, I utilize gastric organoids and mouse model systems.