Monika M Keelan

My major focus is to study the characteristics of Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for the development of stomach diseases (chronic inflammation, stomach ulcers, stomach cancer), which is typically acquired in childhood. I investigate the antibiotic resistance of these bacteria to understand how resistance occurs and what treatments may be successful to clear the infection. I study the genetic characteristics of the bacteria that cause disease to understand which features are associated with the development of very severe disease. The genetic information can also be examined to identify the relatedness of different H. pylori in a population. Some people do not respond to the treatments for H. pylori, so I am also investigating hew ideas to treat the infections without the use of antibiotics. Finally, I am very interested in making these research findings clear to people in the community so that they better understand the nature of the infection and how they can reduce their health risks.