Host-Pathogen Kinetics of Viral and Bacterial Infections and Coinfections
● Model-Driven Experimentation ● Data-Driven Modeling ●
● Infection Dynamics ● Integrative Analysis ●
● Mathematical Virology, Bacteriology, and Immunology ●
We study host-pathogen interactions using an integrated approach that combines data-driven mathematical models and model-driven experiments. We specialize in developing and calibrating mathematical models of viral, bacterial, and host immune kinetics using high-quality, quantitative data. We then design and carry out experiments to test our analytical predictions. We use this method to understand the complex pathogen and immune dynamics during viral infections, bacterial infections, and multi-pathogen coinfections.

Dr. Amber Smith, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Institute for the Study of Host-Pathogen Systems at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Recent Publications
Taylor, MK, Williams, EP, Xue, Y, Jenjaroenpun, P, Wongsurawat, T, Smith, AP, Smith, AM, [14 coauthors], Jonsson, CB. (2022). Dissecting phenotype from genotype with clinical isolates of SARS-CoV-2 first wave variants. Viruses 15(3):611.
Smith, AP, Lane, LC, Ramirez-Zuniga, I, Moquin, DJ, Vogel, P, Smith, AM*. (2022). Increased Virus dissemination leads to enhanced lung injury but not inflammation during influenza-associated secondary bacterial infection. FEMS Microbes 3:1-9. doi: 10.1093/femsmc/xtac022.
Gaur, AH*, Panetta, JC, Smith, AM, Dallas, RH, Freeman, BB, Stewart, TB, Tang, L, John, E, Branum, KC, Patel, ND, Ost, S, Heine, RN, Richardson, JL, Hammill, JT, Bebrevska, L, Gusovsky, F, Maki, N, Yanagi, T, Flynn, PM, McCarthy, JS, Chalon, S, Guy, RK*. (2022). Combining the oral, Plasmodium falciparum ATP4 inhibitor SJ733 with the pharmacokinetic enhancer cobicistat: a novel approach in antimalarial drug development. eBioMedicine 80:104065. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104065.
Smith AP, Williams EP, Plunket TR, Selvaraj M, Lane LC, Zalduondo L, Xue Y, Vogel P, Channappanavar R, Jonsson CB*, Smith AM* (2022). Time-dependent increase in susceptibility and severity of secondary bacterial infections during SARS-CoV-2. Frontiers Immunol 13:894534. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.894534.
Cresta, D, Warren, DC, Quirouette, C, Smith, AP, Lane, LC, Smith, AM, Beauchemin, CAA* (2021). Time to revisit the endpoint dilution assay and to replace the TCID50 as a measure of a virus sample’s infection concentration. PLoS Comput Biol 17(10): e1009480. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009480
Pinky, L, Burke, CW, Russell, CJ, Smith, AM* (2021). Quantifying dose-, strain-, and tissue-specific kinetics of parainfluenza virus infection. PLoS Comput Biol 17(8): e1009299. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009299
Jenner, AL, Aogo, RA, Alfonso, S, Crowe, V, Smith, AP, Morel, PA, Davis, CL, Smith, AM*, Craig, M* (2021). COVID-19 virtual patient cohort reveals immune mechanisms driving disease outcomes. PLoS Pathog 17(7):e1009753. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009753
Myers, MA, Smith, AP, Lane, LC, Moquin, DJ, Woolard, S, Thomas, PG, Vogel, P, and Smith, AM* (2021). Dynamically linking influenza virus infection kinetics, lung injury, inflammation, and disease severity. eLife 10:e68864 doi: 10.7554/eLife.68864; Highlighted in this SIAM News Article
Smith, AP, Lane, LC, Moquin, DJ, van Opijnen, T, Woolard, S, Carter, R, Iverson, A, Burnham, C, Vogel, P, Roeber, D, Hochu, G, Johnson, MDL, McCullers, JA, Rosch, JR, Smith, AM* (2021). Dynamic pneumococcal genetic adaptations support bacterial growth and inflammation during coinfection with influenza. Infect Immun 89:e00023-21. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00023-21