Lourido Lab

Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido and colleagues identified key parts of the pathway that enables apicomplexan parasites to exit one host cell, and travel to infect others, including the important role of a molecule they called HOOK. This finding illuminates how signals can move in cells and could inform drug development against the parasites.

Climate change and economic development are increasing our risk of being infected by parasites and harmful viruses and bacteria. Whitehead Institute researchers are leveraging their expertise to better assess where pathogens will spread and evaluate their risk to humans.

Haley Licon is a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido’s lab studying how the parasite Toxoplasma gondii switches between stages during infection. We sat down with Haley to learn more about her and her experiences in and out of the lab.