Dr. Karls is a Senior Research Scientist in the Infectious Diseases Department at the University of Georgia. He received undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned his doctorate in Bacteriology from UW-Madison applying biochemistry and molecular genetics to study transcriptional control of bacterial photosynthesis. He obtained postdoctoral training in Microbial Pathogenesis initially at Emory University and then at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where he focused on pathogenic mycobacteria and tuberculosis. Since joining the faculty in the Department of Infectious Diseases at UGA, his lab continues to use multiple approaches to examine processes and factors that enable pathogenic mycobacteria to survive and replicate in host organisms. The overarching goal of his research is to apply the acquired knowledge to develop vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tests to aid in the battle against important diseases such as tuberculosis.