Photo by Amanda Maglione
Camille was awarded an NIH F30, an individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellows Award from that will begin on November 23, 2025. Cami is a doctoral candidate in Microbiology in the lab of Alison Criss.
Cami received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Medical Health and Society from Vanderbilt University.
We asked Camille to tell us about her research and hopes for the future. Here’s what she said:
Can you tell us about your research?
Our lab studies Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which is the bacterial pathogen that causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. These clinical consequences are thought to be a result of the inflammatory response to N. gonorrhoeae, which is characterized by robust neutrophil recruitment. Neutrophils are highly inflammatory immune cells, but N. gonorrhoeae is able to survive in the presence of neutrophils and even hijack them for nutrients. My project focuses on how neutrophils release the human stress hormone norepinephrine and how N. gonorrhoeae uses it as a signal to survive during infection. More specifically, I am investigating how norepinephrine alters bacterial iron homeostasis to allow N. gonorrhoeae to better cope with iron limitation during infection.
What drives or motivates your scientific pursuits?
I enjoy the challenge of rigorous research and the excitement of scientific discovery that results. I’ve always been curious about how the human body functions and the mechanisms underlying disease, but what truly drives my scientific pursuits is the potential to improve patient care. My project is especially exciting because it investigates the interface between host immune responses and bacterial survival strategies—an area with both fundamental and translational significance.
What are your future goals?
My long-term goal is to lead an infectious disease research program and also provide patient care to stay connected with the impact of my research and identify unmet clinical needs in the field.