FOCUS
As a biomedical scientist, Keiwana has research experience in a diverse array of topics including cancer, diabetes, glaucoma, and sexually transmitted infections. She is currently working on antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. Neisseria gonorrhoeae rapidly develops resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, gonorrhea may soon become untreatable if new antibiotics and diagnostic tools are not developed. Her project is exciting because it will contribute to research that will be beneficial to the public health community by helping doctors treat this multidrug-resistant infection.
MORE ABOUT KEIWANA
Keiwana’s grandfather who spent his life designing engines, completely lost his eyesight due to diabetes. She was mortified for him and wanted to know why and why he did not get the same care as others. Her life’s mission is to find a cure, implement policies for affordable diabetes drugs, and bring access to quality healthcare to at-risk groups.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — FALL 2024
The Role of Iron in Antimicrobial Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Gonorrhea is the second most common reportable infectious disease in the United States and has rapidly developed resistance to all classes of antibiotics—including ceftriaxone, the current first-line treatment. Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a global public health crisis, threatening the efficacy of existing antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents, and demanding urgent solutions and new therapeutic approaches. This study seeks to investigate the link between iron acquisition and antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which could ultimately play an essential role in antimicrobial therapeutic strategies.
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