Jean C. Lee, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, has >30 years of research experience with Staphylococcus aureus. Her primary interests are in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infections and in vaccine development targeting this important bacterial pathogen.

The major goals of her laboratory have been to chemically characterize S. aureus capsular polysaccharides and to investigate their biosynthesis, function, regulation, and contributions to virulence. Dr. Lee developed and utilized animal models of S. aureus colonization and infection to study microbial interactions with the mammalian host.

A major focus of her research has been the preclinical evaluation of S. aureus glycoconjugate and protein vaccine candidates in rodent models of staphylococcal disease. The Lee laboratory has targeted both surface antigens, such as capsular polysaccharides and cell wall-anchored proteins, as well as secreted toxin-based vaccines, as potential vaccine antigens. Dr. Lee’s recent studies are directed toward a better understanding of S. aureus extracellular vesicles, their biogenesis in vitro and in vivo, and the contribution of these vesicles to the host-parasite interaction.