About
Dr. Mishra is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences in the Department of Health and Life Sciences, with extensive expertise in biochemistry, microbiology, infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial pathogenesis, host–pathogen interactions, and the development of strategies to combat antibiotic resistance. His laboratory employs multidisciplinary approaches, including lipidomics, proteomics, genomics, and metabolomics, to investigate bacterial physiology and identify novel therapeutic targets.
Dr. Mishra’s principal research interests include antimicrobial resistance mechanisms; the interactions of mammalian platelet microbicidal proteins with bacterial pathogens; platelet-mediated antibacterial host defenses in vitro and in vivo; metabolic pathways as potential drug targets; antibiotic combination strategies to prevent the emergence of resistance; and the pathogenesis of endovascular infections.
Among his notable scientific contributions, Dr. Mishra has elucidated the role of staphylococcal carotenoid-mediated alterations in membrane fluidity and rigidity and their implications for resistance to host-defense peptides and bacterial virulence in an experimental endocarditis model. He has also made pioneering contributions to understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for high-level daptomycin resistance in streptococci. These discoveries have advanced knowledge of bacterial adaptation, antimicrobial resistance, and the complex interactions between pathogens and host immune defenses.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, Dr. Mishra received the 2015 ICAAC Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Microbiology. This award recognizes promising early-career investigators for excellence and potential in microbiology and infectious disease research. His research has received funding support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Merck, and Cubist Pharmaceuticals. He has authored or co-authored nearly 60 peer-reviewed research articles, reviews, and book chapters. In addition, he has served as a reviewer for numerous prestigious scientific journals and as an academic editor for respected scholarly publications.
Dr. Mishra is also deeply committed to teaching, mentorship, and academic development. Throughout his teaching and research career, he has mentored more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students, summer researchers, and research staff. His teaching portfolio encompasses General Microbiology, Parasitology, Biochemistry, and Cell and Molecular Biology at the undergraduate level, as well as Medical Biochemistry and Infectious Diseases at the graduate level. He has also contributed to the education and training of clinical and postdoctoral fellows through instruction in both clinical and non-clinical courses.
Through his integrated research, teaching, and mentorship, Dr. Mishra continues to contribute to the advancement of biomedical sciences, the understanding of antimicrobial resistance, and the development of future scientists and healthcare professionals.