Professional Bio
Jennifer Gaddy, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases) and Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Her research focuses on how the host responds to infection of the reproductive tract, specifically in the context of pregnancy. Her latest work demonstrates that the bacterial pathogen Group B Streptococcus can highjack placental macrophage cells as a Trojan horse to ascend the gravid reproductive tract and cross the placenta to infect the developing fetus. Dr. Gaddy’s current research program seeks to understand the host and environmental factors that contribute to susceptibility to perinatal infections and to elucidate the antimicrobial molecules produced in human breast milk. Dr. Gaddy has expertise in bacterial pathogenesis, innate immunity and reproductive immunology, and she utilizes cutting-edge techniques such as high-resolution imaging modalities (including electron microscopy), primary cell and tissue models, preclinical animal models of disease, and multi-omics in her research. She is currently funded by the March of Dimes, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), and has authored over 125 peer-reviewed manuscripts. She is the Director of the Pre3 Initiative (Preventing Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Prematurity) and the Co-Director of the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center at VUMC.
Relevant Links
Publications
Education
PhD - Microbiology - Miami University, 2010
Fellowship - Post-doc - Vanderbilt University, 2013
Contact
Email
Kimryn.Rathmell@Vumc.Org
Address
777 Preston Research Building
2220 Pierce Ave
Nashville, TN 37232-6307