Abigail Weaver

Areas of Interest

My research is focused on understanding how microbial and environmental factors shape polymicrobial infections, with a focus on prosthetic joint infections (PJIs).

These infections are difficult to treat because bacteria are often encapsulated in a protective biofilm and resistant to antibiotics. Infections, at best, delay patient recovery, but can be fatal. Using approaches such as Whole Genome Shotgun Sequencing, we can explore the range of microbial communities encompassed in PJIs. This is combined with controlled studies of pairs and small groups of PJI isolates to tease out microbial and environmental factors that have a significant impact on communities.