Prof. Jeffrey Withey received a BA in biology from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan. He also did postdoctoral work in bacterial pathogenesis at the University of Michigan. In 2006, he joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and now holds the rank of professor.
Prof. Withey’s research has focused on enteric bacterial pathogens, primarily Vibrio cholerae, the cause of human cholera. He has studied the regulation of V. cholerae virulence and identified factors in the human gut that can enhance or suppress virulence. In recent years, the focus of Withey’s lab has moved to studying environmental reservoirs for V. cholerae and other human pathogens, including Shigella, Salmonella, and the adherent-invasive E. coli. To facilitate these studies, he has developed models for these enteric bacterial pathogens in a natural aquatic host, the zebrafish (Danio rerio).
In his Fulbright project in India at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Prof. Withey is developing new environmental models for Campylobacter and Enterotoxigenic E. coli in zebrafish, together with his Indian collaborators. These pathogens cause millions of cases of severe diarrhea per year, both in the developing world and in the U.S. In particular, childhood diarrhea in the developing world is highly associated with stunting, which can cause lifelong effects on health. The environmental life cycles of these pathogens are poorly understood and the goal of the research is to determine how they survive and thrive in environmental niches such as fish. Wild fish, both from nearby waterbodies and from fish markets, are also being examined to determine if major human enteric pathogens are carried in their guts. The long-term goal of these studies is to facilitate bioremediation to reduce or eliminate the major causes of diarrhea in the developing world.