Priscilla C. Olsen, Ph.D.

Research

The Olsen lab (Laboratory of Immunological Studies – LEI) specializes in developing novel therapies for bacterial infections, arboviruses, and allergic inflammatory lung diseases. Currently, our research focuses on characterizing the humoral immune response against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria to facilitate the discovery of potent monoclonal antibodies. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to circumvent the pressure imposed by traditional antibiotics. Among these, the overexpression of efflux pumps stands out as a primary resistance strategy. By actively reducing intracellular drug concentrations, these pumps not only neutralize specific treatments but also provide a survival advantage that facilitates the development of secondary resistance mechanisms. The LEI group targets outer membrane proteins (OMPs)—the critical structural components of these Gram-negative efflux systems. Our research investigates the efficacy of human and murine antibodies designed to bind specifically to extracellular OMP epitopes, sterically block the efflux channel, revert the resistance phenotype by restoring antibiotic accumulation, and eliminate MDR pathogens through targeted neutralization.