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The Hooven Lab

The Hooven Lab for Neonatal Bacterial Pathogenesis Research

Seeking to Understand and Prevent Bacterial Infections that Threaten Newborns and their Mothers

Under the leadership of Thomas Hooven, MD, researchers at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh are addressing the problem of serious bacterial infections that affect newborns. These infections can be life threatening and many are associated with long-term complications that create challenges for growing children and their families for years to come.

The Hooven Lab seeks to understand the molecular interactions between babies and bacteria that give rise to these infections. Why do some bacteria cause infections in newborns but rarely in older children and adults? How do babies protect themselves from the many billions of new bacteria that they encounter in the first few weeks of life? Can a better understanding of neonatal immunity help drive new treatments to reduce the burden of serious bacterial infections during this uniquely vulnerable period of life? These are the kinds of questions we seek to answer through molecular and genetic investigations of newborns, bacteria, and their interactions.