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Sarah Merritt Fortune, M.D.

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Biography
Columbia University, College of Physicians and SurgeonsM.D.1996Medicine
Yale UniversityB.S.1990Biology
HSPHPost Doc2006Immunology & Infectious Diseases - 5years Postdoctoral Fellow
Brigham and Women’s Hospital20003years Internship/Residency in Internal Medicine
Brigham and Women’s Hospital20011year Clinical Fellowship in Infectious Diseases
1989
Community Service Award
1990
B.S. Summa Cum Laude
1993
Medical Student Fellowship for Return to Medical Studies
1993
Medical Student Research Fellowship
1993
Phi Beta Kappa
1996
Alpha Omega Alpha
2001
Teaching Award for Residents in Internal Medicine
2004
The Maxwell Finland Award for Excellence in Research
2004
The Maxwell Finland Award for Excellence in Research, Mass. Infectious Disease Society
2007
Early Career Award
2007
Early Career Award
2007
New Innovator Award
2010
Science and Public Leadership Fellow
2010
Clinical Scientist Development Award
2012
Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases
2012
Melvin and Geraldine Glimcher Associate Professorship
2013
Alice B. Hamilton Award
2017
John LaPorte Given Professor
2019 - 2020
Junior Faculty Mentoring Award

Overview
My laboratory focuses on the molecular basis of population heterogeneity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and the extent to which differences between mycobacterial cells contribute to differences in disease and treatment outcomes. Our work combines bacterial genetic approaches with high throughput methodologies including population genomics, ssRNAseq and quantitative live cell imaging to define the molecular mechanisms by which Mtb generates diversity and how this diversity enables the bacterium to survive subsequent selective forces including antibiotics and immune selection. We further seek to understand the impact of host immune responses on the interaction of Mtb with the infected host, again working at both single cell and genomic levels. My work engages a broad network of collaborators including experts in technologies to assess single cell behavior at MIT and MGH, experts in sequencing methodologies at the Broad Institute and experts in human immunology at the Ragon Institute, where I am the outgoing Director of the TB Program.

Research
The research activities and funding listed below are automatically derived from NIH ExPORTER and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing items. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
  1. 1P01AI143575-01A1 (RUBIN ERIC) Jun 12, 2020 - May 31, 2025
    NIH/NIAID
    Pathway Analysis in Tuberculosis
    Role Description: The goal of this project is to understand key pathways in Mtb biology using advanced genetic, genomic and biochemical methods, and the gold-standard in vitro and in vivo systems developed in our labs to mimic critical aspects of human TB.
    Role: Multi PI
  2. 75N93019C00071 (FORTUNE S.) Sep 1, 2019 - Sep 29, 2026
    NIH/NIAID
    Immune Mechanisms of Protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Center (IMPAc-TB)
    Role Description: The goal of this project is to apply the tools of systems immunology to exclusive animal and human models of protection from Mtb infection and disease progression.
    Role: Principal Investigator
  3. U19 AI142793 (MURRAY MEGAN) Apr 18, 2019 - Mar 31, 2024
    NIH/NIAID
    Bacterial Determinants of Treatment Response in Mycobacteria Tuberculosis
    Role Description: Effective control of drug-resistant TB requires the early diagnosis and treatment to prevent further transmission of the disease. Through this program, we aim to develop tools to detect drug resistant TB and improve patient outcomes.
    Role: Co-Investigator
  4. R01AI143788 (FLYNN JOANN) Feb 6, 2019 - Jan 31, 2024
    University of Pittsburgh/NIH/NIAID
    Development of a self-inactivating, highly effective TB vaccine
    Role Description: The goal of to generate and characterize candidate vaccine strains of M. bovis BCG that are conditionally replicating.
    Role: Co-Investigator
  5. R01AI135629 (EHRT, SABINE ;FORTUNE, SARAH) Sep 1, 2018 - Aug 31, 2024
    NIH
    Conditionally replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccines
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator

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Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through its Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, grant number UL1TR002541.