Research Interest:
Dr. Mandel's research focuses on defining mechanisms of the pathogenicity in Coccidioides by using molecular genetic methods and gene expression studies to understand the transition from the saprobic to the parasitic growth phase. She has developed tools for efficiently disrupt Coccidioides genes. She has been instrumental in work defining the role of CPS1, the gene that was deleted in the Valley fever live-attenuated vaccine, in Coccidioides.