Dr. Nathan Chasen's Research

Host-Pathogen Interactions
Endocytosis
Protein Secretion
Immune Evasion
Proteomics

My research group focuses on unraveling the complex interactions between the parasitic human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi and its host. This parasite is the causative agent of Chagas disease, which results in heart failure in 20-30% of those infected and is the most prevalent parasitic disease in the Americas. 

How T. cruzi thrives directly in the cytosol of mammalian cells is currently not well understood, as other parasites remain within a parasitophorous vacuole membrane that protects them and aids with nutrient acquisition. 

Two main questions inform our research direction: 

1) How does T. cruzi obtain nutrients while in the cytosol of a mammalian cell?

2) How does T. cruzi manipulate its host cell to prevent detection? 

Complementary to answering these questions, we also aim to increase our understanding of T. cruzi's endocytic and secretory pathways.

For a full listing, visit Nathan's Google Scholar page.