Catherine O’Connell, PhD
Professor
Infectious Diseases
Catherine O’Connell, PhD was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics effective March 1, 2024. Dr. O’Connell has been a faculty member in Pediatric Infectious Diseases since 2013. Dr. O’Connell received her BA in Microbiology from Dublin University in 1987 and received her PhD in Microbiology from Dublin University in 1993. She joined us at UNC in 2013 as an Assistant Professor from the University of Arkansas Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. O’Connell’s principal research goals are directed towards understanding the virulence mechanisms used by chlamydial species to cause disease. Dr. O’Connell’s interest in bacterial pathogenesis stems from early training in Staphylococcus aureus genetics, evolving through her study of the intracellular pathogen Shigella flexneri, to her current research interest, the obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis.