Dr. Emma Spady studies the effects of antibiotic combinations on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The drug combinations used to treat tuberculosis were discovered by trial-and-error, and the mechanisms underlying their synergies are still unknown. By characterizing the metabolomes of M. tuberculosis treated with multiple antibiotics in vitro, we can compare single-drug to combination metabolic states. Whether the combination resembles an amplified single-drug state or has unique emergent properties, it can guide the incorporation of new drugs into successful regimens. The specific pathways affected can also reveal targets for future antibiotics.
In 2019, Emma finished her PhD in Chemical Biology at Harvard University. She worked under Prof. Pamela Silver in the Systems Biology department, engineering mammalian cells to produce novel steroids. With support from the Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, she modeled the pharmacokinetics of corticosteroid-binding antibody fusion proteins to design cell-type-selective immunosuppressants. Emma graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Biochemistry with High Honors in 2013. Her undergraduate thesis research with Prof. Amy Vollmer analyzed the transcriptomes of Universal Stress Protein A E. coli mutants.
As she launches her independent career, Emma envisions using systems biology to guide antibiotic combinations. She aims to generate insightful omic datasets using well-designed culture systems, and follow the resulting hypotheses to the protein level. Emma is an experienced R user, but practices Python on simpler datasets. Her careful benchwork is fueled by podcasts, from which she absorbs esoteric facts to share over tea. In her free time, Emma enjoys visiting art museums, especially MoMA and the Neue Galerie. Once it's safe to do so, she plans to sing in a casual choir.