Uncovering Secrets of Staphylococcus aureus Biology and Pathogenesis One Toxin at a Time

Event Details

Type

Other Lectures and Symposia

Speaker(s)

Victor Torres, Starr Professor of Microbiology, department of microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Speaker bio(s)

In his lecture, Professor Victor J. Torres will cover his journey from Puerto Rico to the Big Apple, and describe his lab’s work on S. aureus toxins and how this research has advanced our understanding on mechanisms of immune subversion, host tropism, evolution of virulence factors, and protein secretion. Zoom link: https://rocku.zoom.us/j/95538958911

Torres earned his bachelor degree in Industrial Microbiology in 2000 from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus. He next enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he earned a doctoral degree in Microbiology and Immunology by studying toxin biology under the supervision of Timothy Cover in 2004. From 2005 to 2008, Torres completed an NIH-NRSA sponsored postdoctoral fellowship on Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis under the tutelage of Eric Skaar, also at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology at New York University School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in late 2008. In 2015 he was promoted to tenured Associate Professor of Microbiology and in 2020 was appointed as the C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology. Over the past twelve years Torres has contributed extensively to the fields of Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis and toxin biology. In addition, he has generated an extensive portfolio of patents and patent applications currently under license by Janssen Biotech Inc. and Janssen Bacterial Vaccine Discovery and Early Development. The work in the Torres lab is funded by grants from the NIH-NIAID, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases, the Hirschl Charitable Trust Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. Professor Torres is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and a permanent member of the NIH-Bacterial Pathogenesis study section. He is an editor for the American Society for Microbiology Journals Infection and Immunity and mBio, and an associate editor for the American Association for the Advancement of Science Journal Science Advances.

Open to

Public

Contact

Sofia Avritzer

Phone

(929) 306-8591

Sponsor

Sofia Avritzer
(929) 306-8591
savritzer@rockefeller.edu