Due to the lack of an effective vaccine, sensitive and specific point-of-care diagnostics and the continuing development of drug resistance, tuberculosis is evolving to become an untreatable disease for a growing number of people. Models that can effectively mimic the various disease states will help generate accurate markers/diagnostics, and subsequently improve the vaccine and treatment options. My research program focuses on identifying and studying genetic mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovispathogenesis, and using these factors as therapeutic, diagnostic and vaccine targets. Most recently, we have begun to employ the use of novel animal models, including the ferret transmission model.