Research Summary
Developing new diagnostic tools for rapid and early diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. These include identifying fungal pathogens from FFPE tissue blocks, fungal antigen assays, host-driven response assays, multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing to rapidly identify fungal pathogens directly from clinical samples. I am also interested in studying identification and characterization of new emerging fungal pathogens, the role of fungal pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients, and antifungal drug resistance.
Technology Expertise Keywords
Fungi, Mycology, Fungal diseases; Fungal diagnostics; PCR; Next generation sequencing; Antifungal drug resistance
Selected Publications
Zhang SX, Babady NE, Hanson KE, Harrington AT, Larkin PMK, Leal SM Jr, Luethy PM, Martin IW, Pancholi P, Procop GW, Riedel S, Seyedmousavi S, Sullivan KV, Walsh TJ, Lockhart SR; Fungal Diagnostics Laboratories Consortium (FDLC). Recognition of Diagnostic Gaps for Laboratory Diagnosis of Fungal Diseases: Expert Opinion from the Fungal Diagnostics Laboratories Consortium (FDLC). J Clin Microbiol. 2021 Jun 18;59(7):e0178420. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01784-20. Epub 2021 Jun 18. PMID: 33504591; PMCID: PMC8218742
Liu B, Totten M, Nematollahi S, Datta K, Memon W, Marimuthu S, Wolf LA, Carroll KC, Zhang SX. Development and Evaluation of a Fully Automated Molecular Assay Targeting the Mitochondrial Small Subunit rRNA Gene for the Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Specimens. J Mol Diagn. 2020 Dec;22(12):1482-1493. doi: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2020.10.003. Epub 2020 Oct 15. Erratum in: J Mol Diagn. 2021 Apr;23(4):506. PMID: 33069878
Wu Y, Grossman N, Totten M, Memon W, Fitzgerald A, Ying C, Zhang SX. Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles and Drug Resistance Mechanisms of Clinical Lomentospora prolificans Isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Oct 20;64(11):e00318-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00318-20. PMID: 32816726; PMCID: PMC7577128
Zhang SX, Carroll KC, Lewis S, Totten M, Mead P, Samuel L, Steed LL, Nolte FS, Thornberg A, Reid JL, Whitfield NN, Babady NE. Multicenter Evaluation of a PCR-Based Digital Microfluidics and Electrochemical Detection System for the Rapid Identification of 15 Fungal Pathogens Directly from Positive Blood Cultures. J Clin Microbiol. 2020 Apr 23;58(5):e02096-19. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02096-19. PMID: 32075904; PMCID: PMC7180249
White M, Adams L, Phan C, Erdag G, Totten M, Lee R, Lu X, Mehta S, Miller LS, Zhang SX. Disseminated sporotrichosis following iatrogenic immunosuppression for suspected pyoderma gangrenosum. Lancet Infect Dis. 2019 Nov;19(11):e385-e391. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30421-9. Epub 2019 Aug 28. Erratum in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2019 Nov;19(11):e370. PMID: 31473127
