Nikki M. Parrish, PhD

Professional Titles

• Associate Director, Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical Mycobacteriology

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Pathology

Background

Centers and Institutes

Global Health, Center for

Contact for Research Inquiries

600 North Wolfe Street
Meyer B1-193
Baltimore, MD 21287

nparrish@jhmi.edu

Research Interests

Diagnostics, Drug development, Tuberculosis

Research Summary

Dr. Parrish’s research is related to tuberculosis, with a particular interest in emerging multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis strains. Her research focuses on uncovering novel compounds with potent antimycobacterial activity and developing rapid diagnostics for the detection of drug resistance. She and her team use a variety of methods, including proteomics, protein and lipid biochemistry as well as current molecular techniques.

Selected Publications

• Hendry C, Dionne K, Hedgepeth A, Carroll K, and Parrish N. “Evaluation of a Rapid, Fluorescent Stain for the Detection of Mycobacteria in Clinical Specimens”. J. Clin. Microbiol. April 2009; 47(4): 1206-1208.

• Jones, P.B., N.M. Parrish, T.A. Houston, A. Stapon, N.P. Bansal, J.D. Dick, and C.A.Townsend. 2000. A new class of antituberculosis agents. J. Med. Chem. 43(17): 3304-14.

• Parrish N and Carroll K. “Importance of improved TB diagnostics in addressing the extensively drug-resistant TB crisis.” Future Microbiol. 2008 Aug;3: 405-413.

• Parrish N, Dionne K, Sweeney A, Hedgepeth A, and Carroll K. “Differences in Time to Detection and Recovery of Mycobacterium species between the MGIT 960 and the BacT/ALERT MB Automated Culture Systems.” Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 2009; 63(3): 342-345.

• Parrish N, Osterhout G, Dionne K, Sweeney A, Kwiatkowski N, Carroll K, Jost KC, Jr, and Dick J. “A Rapid, Standardized, Susceptibility Method for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using Mycolic Acid Analysis.” J Clin. Micro. Dec 2007; 45: 3915-3920

• Parrish NM, Radcliff RP, Brey BJ, Anderson JL, Clark DL Jr, Koziczkowski JJ, Ko CG, Goldberg ND, Brinker DA, Carlson RA, Dick JD, Ellingson JL. “Absence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Crohn's patients.” Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009 Apr;15(4):558-65.

• Parrish, N.M, C. Townsend, P. Jones, T. Houston, and J. Dick. 2001. In vitro activity of a novel antimycobacterial compound, N-octanesulfonylacetamide, and its effects on lipid and mycolic acid synthesis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45:1143-1150.

• Parrish, N.M., C.A. Townsend, C.G. Ko, and J.D. Dick. 2004. Congo red agar colony morphotypes and antibiotic susceptibility testing of M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis. 2004. Clinical Medicine and Research. 2: 107-114.

• Parrish, N.M., C.A. Townsend, C.G. Ko, and J.D. Dick. 2004. Effect of n-Octanesulfonylacetamide (OSA) on ATP and protein expression in Mycobacterium bovis BCG. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 54(4): 722-9.

• Parrish, N.M., F.P. Kuhajda, H.S. Heine, W.R. Bishai, and J.D. Dick. 1999. Antimycobacterial activity of cerulenin and its effects on lipid biosynthesis. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 43: 219-226.

• Parrish, N.M., J. D. Dick and W.R. Bishai. 1998. Mechanisms of latency in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Trends in Microbiology. 6: 107-112. 

Honors

• Diplomate, American Board of Medical Microbiology
• Member, Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society
• President, Graduate Student Association
• Excellence In Basic Research Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Patent for "Synthesis of novel compounds for the treatment of mycobacteria"
• Patent for "Use of octanoic acid for the enhancement of growth in mycobacteria"
• Otis and Calista Causey Honorary Fellowship
• ARCS Scholar (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists)
• Delta Omega Research Award
• Becton Dickinson Centennial Fellowship in Clinical Microbiology

Professional Activities

• Johns Hopkins University, Alumni Council
• Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Ad Hoc reviewer
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIH) grants, Ad Hoc reviewer