Directory Entry For: Ryan Doster

Biography

Ryan Doster, MD, PhD, FIDSA is an early career infectious diseases physician-scientist. He completed medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN; 2009), followed by a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN; 2013). This included serving as Chief Resident during his final year of residency training. Dr. Doster then completed adult Infectious Diseases medicine subspecialty fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN; 2017). During Infectious Diseases training, he completed a Ph.D. in Microbe-Host Interaction at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tn; 2019) as part of the Physician Scientist Doctoral Program. Dr. Doster moved to the University of Louisville in 2022, where his lab continues to study infection pathogenesis during pregnancy. In addition to his research program, Dr. Doster attends on the Infectious Diseases Consult Service at University of Louisville Hospital and at the Rex Robley Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

Research Interests

Dr. Doster's long-term career goal is to lead research focused on defining mechanisms by which clinical infections occur and developing translational approaches to mitigate infection risk. The Doster lab has focused on understanding the pathogenesis of infections caused by Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) a common cause of infections during pregnancy and in neonates. He is particularly interested in the role of biofilm, which may allow GBS to colonize the female reproductive tract and lead to pregnancy infections. The Doster lab utilizes in vitro culture models, high-resolution microscopy techniques, and animal models of pregnancy infection to understand the factors necessary for GBS to form biofilms, colonize epithelial surfaces, and evade immune response on the way to causing perinatal infections which result in significant morbidity and mortality to mothers and infants. Current projects in the lab investigate how metabolic disease (diabetes) might influence GBS colonization, how commensals bacteria such as Lactobacillus protect against GBS colonization and looking at multidisciplinary approaches to prevent GBS colonization and infection including novel probiotic delivery mechanisms. 

Research Labs

Doster Lab

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