Patrick Skelly
Ph.D.
Research/Areas of Interest
parasitology; molecular and cellular helminthology; vaccine development; identification of new anthelminthics; Infectious diseases: prevention and control
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University, AUS, 1986
- Master of Science, Univ Col Dublin/Ireland, IRL, 1982
- BS, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 1981
Biography
Patrick J. Skelly, PhD, Professor, runs the Molecular Helminthology Laboratory at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. A major focus of the laboratory is the study of helminth molecular and cell biology. We are especially interested in understanding how blood flukes (schistosomes) can survive for years within their hosts without provoking protective immunity and without inducing blood clot formation around them. We study the molecular and cellular biology of the schistosome tegument (skin); we aim to understand how the worms use specific molecules in their tegument to alter blood biochemistry so as to favor their survival. Before coming to Tufts, Patrick was on the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health. He received his PhD in Biochemistry in 1986 at the Australian National University from his work on the cuticle of the ectoparasite, Lucilia cuprina. Patrick is a past president of the New England Association of Parasitologists and a current editor for the journal Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology.