Connie Gebhart, PhD

Current research interests for Dr. Gebhart include epidemiology, pathogenesis, and control of bacterial diseases of animals, especially enteric disease caused by Lawsonia species and Brachyspira species. New areas of research include epidemiology and control of Streptococcus suis infections, investigating intestinal organoid cultures for infectious disease research, and evaluating the pig microbiome during health and enteric disease.

Research in my laboratory addresses pathogenic bacteria of veterinary importance, specifically the fastidious, novel, or newly emerging. My research has focused on the obligately intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis and the novel porcine pathogen Brachyspira hampsonii. In particular, my laboratory was instrumental in identifying these new pathogenic species and continues to be active in studying all facets of these exceptional bacteria. Current research seeks to understand how L. intracellularis causes proliferation of enterocytes, by exploring processes such as interference with apoptosis, mechanism(s) of intracellular survival, alteration of normal cellular differentiation, and effect(s) on the enterocytes’ normal cell cycles.

 Dr. Gebhart, PubMed