Dr. Cezar Khursigara

Biography

Starting from a very young age, I have always had a strong interest in biology and the natural world around us. I first became fascinated with bacteria while studying pathogenic bacteria under the guidance of Dr. Debora Foster at Ryerson University. I obtained my Ph.D. from McGill University for my work on iron-uptake mechanisms by Gram-negative bacteria, supervised by Dr. James Coulton. My experience in combining biochemical, biophysical, and structural techniques laid a foundation for my research on bacterial processes. I moved to the National Cancer Institute of the NIH, where I helped pioneer cryo-electron microscopy techniques to investigate the molecular architecture of bacterial chemotaxis receptor complexes. My laboratory continues to apply a multidisciplinary approach to study protein complexes involved in bacterial cell division, interaction, biofilm formation, and motility. We aim to identify new drug targets in the context of emerging multi-drug resistant strains. We actively welcome graduate students interested in cellular imaging, microbiology, and the development of innovative imaging methods.

Research Interests