Larner College of Medicine

Leigh Knodler

Professor, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics

Director, MMG Master's and Accelerated Master's Programs

PRONOUNS she/her

leigh.knodler@med.uvm.edu
(802) 656-0726
person smiling
leigh.knodler@med.uvm.edu
+18026560726
Linkedin
Pronouns she/her
Alma mater(s)
  • Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • B.S., First Class Honors, University of New South Wales
Affiliated Department(s)

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics

Areas of expertise

bacteria-host cell interactions in the gut, enteric bacteria, host-pathogen interactions, type III secretion systems, Salmonella enterica.

BIO

Leigh Knodler received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from the University of New South Wales, Australia, studying novel metabolic pathways in the protozoan parasite, Giardia lamblia. For postdoctoral research she studied developmental gene regulation in Giardia lamblia at the University of California, San Diego and Salmonella enterica-host interactions at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She started her independent research group at Washington State University in 2012, received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2019, and joined the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in 2023. Her research focuses on pathogenic bacteria of the gut.

Courses

  • MMG6990: Host-Microbe Interactions

Publications

PubMed Publications

Awards and Achievements

  • Postdoctoral training in bacterial pathogenesis, University of British Columbia, Canada 
  • Postdoctoral training in differential gene regulation in protozoan parasites, University of California at San Diego
  • Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor, 2019 
  • Recipient of Burroughs Wellcome Fund PATH award, 2019 
  • Promoted to Full Professor, 2026

Bio

Leigh Knodler received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from the University of New South Wales, Australia, studying novel metabolic pathways in the protozoan parasite, Giardia lamblia. For postdoctoral research she studied developmental gene regulation in Giardia lamblia at the University of California, San Diego and Salmonella enterica-host interactions at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She started her independent research group at Washington State University in 2012, received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2019, and joined the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in 2023. Her research focuses on pathogenic bacteria of the gut.

Courses

  • MMG6990: Host-Microbe Interactions

Publications

PubMed Publications

Awards and Achievements

  • Postdoctoral training in bacterial pathogenesis, University of British Columbia, Canada 
  • Postdoctoral training in differential gene regulation in protozoan parasites, University of California at San Diego
  • Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor, 2019 
  • Recipient of Burroughs Wellcome Fund PATH award, 2019 
  • Promoted to Full Professor, 2026

Select Publications

  • Klein JA, Predeus AV, Greissl AR, Clark-Herrera MM, Cruz E, Cundiff J, Haeberle A, Howell M, Lele A, Robinson DJ, Westerman TL, Wrande M, Wright SJ, Green NM, Vallance BA, McClelland M, Mejia A, Goodman AG, Elfenbein JR, Knodler LA (2024) Pathogenic diversification of the gut commensal Providencia alcalifaciens via acquisition of a second type III secretion system. Infect. Immun. 2024 Oct 15; 92(10):e0031424. 
  • Powers TR, Haeberle AL, Predeus AV, Hammarlöf DL, Cundiff JA, Saldaña-Ahuactzi Z, Hokamp K, Hinton JCD, Knodler LA. Intracellular niche-specific profiling reveals transcriptional adaptations required for the cytosolic lifestyle of Salmonella enterica. PLoS Pathog. 2021 Aug;17(8):e1009280. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009280. 
  • Lau N, Haeberle AL, O'Keeffe BJ, Latomanski EA, Celli J, Newton HJ, Knodler LA. SopF, a phosphoinositide binding effector, promotes the stability of the nascent Salmonella-containing vacuole. PLoS Pathog. 2019 Jul;15(7):e1007959. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007959. eCollection 2019 Jul. 
  • Du J, Reeves AZ, Klein JA, Twedt DJ, Knodler LA, Lesser CF. The type III secretion system apparatus determines the intracellular niche of bacterial pathogens. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 2016 Apr 26;113(17):4794-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1520699113. 
  • Knodler LA, Crowley SM, Sham HP, Yang H, Wrande M, Ma C, Ernst RK, Steele-Mortimer O, Celli J, Vallance BA. Noncanonical inflammasome activation of caspase-4/caspase-11 mediates epithelial defenses against enteric bacterial pathogens. Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Aug 13;16(2):249-256. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.07.002.
microscope image

Salmonella-Intestinal Epithelial Cell Interactions

Research in our lab focuses on gastrointestinal diseases. We aim to understand how pathogenic bacteria colonize the gut, proliferate and spread. These confocal microscopy images show Salmonella enterica replicating in different intracellular compartments in intestinal epithelial cells.
microscopic image
Left image: Salmonella (in green) replicate in membrane-bound vacuoles (labeled in red) or free in the cytosol of epithelial cells. Right image: mCherry Salmonella also fluoresce green when they experience metal ion stress in the epithelial cytosol.

Lab Team

Hannah Marsh, AMP student
Aspen Mrak, undergraduate
Cecelia Lazzaro, undergraduate