Principal Investigator
Nancy E. Freitag is Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy, and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Medicine, as well as former Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Prof. Freitag obtained her doctoral degree at the Department of Biological Chemistry at UCLA and completed postdoctoral training with Prof. Daniel Portnoy at the University of Pennsylvania and with Prof. Michael Koomey at the University of Michigan. She has held positions at the Public Health Research Institute, Wayne State University, the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, and the University of Washington prior to coming to UIC.
Prof. Freitag's laboratory conducts basic and translational research focused on bacterial pathogenesis and the host response to microbial infection. Projects include the investigation bacterial peptide signaling, mechanisms of virulence factor secretion, bacterial infections of mother and fetus during pregnancy, and the role of common anesthetics, such as propofol and its metabolites, in increasing a serious risk for infections during hospital stays. Bacterial pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus have been the focus of recent work. The continuing goal is to better define the pathogenic mechanisms and potentially identify the new therapeutic targets and treatment strategies to mitigate bacterial infections. A more thorough summary of ongoing projects in her lab is provided on a Research Focus page.
Dr. Freitag is an accomplished educator and her teaching efforts include, among others, high school teacher-student science/research mentoring programs, post-baccalaureate programs, and serving as an ASM judge for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. She continues to teach and train future scientists in her lab at UIC, as well as to support young faculty career development and professional training through various professional associations. Dr. Freitag’s teaching has been recognized by numerous awards, including three Golden Apples.