Devendra H. Shah

Biography

BVSc: Bombay Veterinary College, India. 1995 MVSc: College of Veterinary Medicine, Anand Agricultural University, India. 1997 PhD: Indian Veterinary Research Institute, India. 2002 Postdoctoral Fellow: College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, South Korea. 2003-2005 Postdoctoral Fellow: College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University. 2005-2008 BVSc: Bombay Veterinary College, India. 1995 MVSc: College of Veterinary Medicine, Anand Agricultural University, India. 1997 PhD: Indian Veterinary Research Institute, India. 2002 Postdoctoral Fellow: College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, South Korea. 2003-2005 Postdoctoral Fellow: College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University. 2005-2008

Research Interest

Food and water-borne bacterial diseases; avian infectious diseases. The primary focus of research in my laboratory includes molecular pathogenesis, diagnosis and control of the bacterial pathogens of veterinary and public health significance. I am particularly interested in the control of zoonotic bacterial agents such as Salmonella and Campylobacter and my work takes advantage of direct comparisons between pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains. This involves use of comparative genomics and proteomic approaches to understand molecular pathogenic aspects of these bacterial agents. We then apply a suite of tools, such as signature tagged mutagenesis, in vivo induced antigen technology, suppression subtractive hybridization and custom designed microarray, to characterize the differences between organisms under the broad hypothesis that the differential pathogenesis is controlled at the genetic, transcriptional, and protein level. Direct host-pathogen interaction is often a part of this story and thus I am also investigating host immune responses to these bacterial pathogens. Differences identified through this process become the subject of my hypothesis-driven experiments to determine the role of a given trait in the pathogenesis or transmission of these bacterial agents. The long-term goal of this effort is to identify useful diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic options such as improved vaccines or strategies for the control of such pathogens.