Brady Spencer
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology
Research Specialty
immunology
neuroimmunology
neuroinflammation
Research Areas
Microbiology, Immunology, Neuroinflammation
Host-pathogen interactions, streptococcal pathogenesis, bacterial meningitis
Selected Publications
Spencer BL, Tak U, Mendonça JC, Nagao PE, Niederweis M, Doran KS. A type VII secretion system in Group B Streptococcus mediates cytotoxicity and virulence. PLoS Pathog. 2021 Dec 6;17(12):e1010121. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010121. PMID: 34871327; PMCID: PMC8675928.
Derk J, Como CN, Jones HE, Joyce LR, Kim S, Spencer BL, Bonney S, O'Rourke R, Pawlikowski B, Doran KS, Siegenthaler JA. Formation and function of the meningeal arachnoid barrier around the developing mouse brain. Dev Cell. 2023 Apr 24;58(8):635-644.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.03.005. Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 36996816; PMCID: PMC10231667.
Spencer BL, Job AM, Robertson CM, Hameed ZA, Serchejian C, Wiafe-Kwakye CS, Mendonça JC, Apolonio MA, Nagao PE, Neely MN, Korotkova N, Korotkov KV, Patras KA, Doran KS. Heterogeneity of the group B streptococcal type VII secretion system and influence on colonization of the female genital tract. Mol Microbiol. 2023 Aug;120(2):258-275. doi: 10.1111/mmi.15115. Epub 2023 Jun 26. PMID: 37357823; PMCID: PMC10527989.
Joyce LR, Kim S, Spencer BL, Christensen PM, Palmer KL, Guan Z, Siegenthaler JA, Doran KS. Streptococcus agalactiae glycolipids promote virulence by thwarting immune cell clearance. Sci Adv. 2024 May 31;10(22):eadn7848. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn7848. Epub 2024 May 29. PMID: 38809989; PMCID: PMC11135403.
Job AM, Doran KS, Spencer BL. A group B streptococcal type VII-secreted LXG toxin mediates interbacterial competition and colonization of the murine female genital tract. mBio. 2024 Oct 16;15(10):e0208824. doi: 10.1128/mbio.02088-24. Epub 2024 Aug 27. PMID: 39189749; PMCID: PMC11481500.
Spencer BL, Nguyen DT, Marroquin SM, Gapin L, O'Brien RL, Doran KS. Characterization of the Cellular Immune Response to Group B Streptococcal Vaginal Colonization. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Feb 2:2025.01.29.635275. doi: 10.1101/2025.01.29.635275. Update in: J Innate Immun. 2025 Oct 2:1-22. doi: 10.1159/000548044. PMID: 39975125; PMCID: PMC11838357.
Kim S, Joyce LR, Brady A, Spencer BL, Pawlikowski B, Derk J, Doran KS, Siegenthaler JA. Meningeal inflammation and arachnoid barrier breakdown in a mouse model of neonatal bacterial meningitis. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Mar 5:2026.03.04.709573. doi: 10.64898/2026.03.04.709573. PMID: 41846965; PMCID: PMC12991148.
Wiafe-Kwakye CS, Glenn AE, Spencer BL. Type VIIb secretion systems in Lactobacillales: insights from streptococci and enterococci. J Bacteriol. 2026 Aug 20;208(8):e0023626. doi: 10.1128/jb.00236-26. Epub 2026 Jul 20. PMID: 42474309; PMCID: PMC13492133.