Our laboratory works on a variety of eukaryotic parasitic organisms of global health importance. These range from single cell protozoa like trypanosomes and Leishmania, to multicellular helminth parasites like schistosome blood flukes. Our primary interest is in the molecular mechanisms by which parasites invade their host, acquire nutrients from the bloodstream, and evade the host immune response. We use a broad array of research tools ranging from gene deletion and RNAi technologies, to confocal imaging and protein structure determination. One major focus is on the role of proteases in the life cycle of parasites and the diseases they produce. A tangent to our work is the development of new drugs for human parasitic diseases in collaboration with other laboratories in the Sandler Center at Mission Bay.