Our research focuses on understanding our body's defense mechanisms against pathogens and translating that knowledge into innovative vaccines and immunotherapies.
Singh HITS laboratory currently focuses on multidrug-resistant Candida auris, an emerging fungus declared as "Urgent Threat/ Top priority" pathogen by public health agencies. Candida auris colonizes human skin and cause lethal (~60% mortality) invasive bloodstream infection in immunocompromised patients harboring indwelling medical devices (e.g. central venous catheters). The mechanism of Candida auris pathogenesis and its virulence traits are still unknown.
Singh HITS Lab employs cutting-edge bioinformatics, immunoproteomics, and molecular biology approaches to characterize Candida auris cell surface proteins, known as adhesins, and identify novel surface proteins. We aim to understand Candida auris-host pathogenic and immune mechanisms and leverage this knowledge to develop novel immune-based prophylactic and therapeutic interventions using clinically relevant infection models.
Investigator | Assistant Professor
PhD, Experimental Surgery (Immunology)
2009 - 2015, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Postdoctoral Fellow
2016 - 2017, National Cancer Institute (NIH), Frederick, MD, USA
Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Scientist
2017 - 2022, The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, CA, USA
Postdotoral Research Fellow
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
2013-2018
University of Queensland, Australia
PhD Student (on rotation)
B.S., Biological Sciences
2015-2017
University of California,
Santa Barbara, CA
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Ph.D. Biological Sciences
2008-2014
University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Research Assistant
B.S., Microbial Biology
2018-2020
University of California,
Berkeley, CA
B.S.; Molecular Environmental Biology
2022-2026
University of California, Berkeley, CA
June 20 -Aug 4, 2023
High School Summer Research Intern
The Lundquist Institute Summer Fellow 2023
Mattos EC, Das Gupta K, Quintanilla D, Hautau H, Ibrahim AS, Singh S. Adjunctive GM-CSF therapy enhances host defense against systemic Candida auris infection in immunosuppressed mice. Frontiers in Immunology. 2026 Jan 19;16:1731315. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1731315. PMID: 41635843; PMCID: PMC12862068.
Singh S, Youssef EG, Barbarino A, Hautau H, Nabeela S, Gebremariam T, Alkhazraji S, Ostroff G, Christensen D, Cochrane T, Ibrahim AS. Next-generation Candida albicans vaccine VXV-01 containing recombinant Als3p and Hyr1p antigens for invasive Candida infections. Nature Scientific Reports. 2025 Dec 15;16(1):2582. PMID: 41398441; PMCID: PMC12819413.
Zhao G, Lyu J, Veniaminova NA, Zarnowski R, Mattos E, Johnson CJ, Quintanilla D, Hautau H, Hold LA, Xu B, Anku JAE, Dasgupta K, Hale JJ, Steltzer SS, Santana DJ, Ibrahim AS, Snitkin ES, Andes D, Nett JE, Singh S, Abraham AC, Killian ML, Kahlenberg JM, Wong SY, O'Meara TR. Adhesin Als4112 promotes Candida auris skin colonization through interactions with keratinocytes and extracellular matrix proteins. Nature Communications. 2025 Jul 1;16(1):5673. PMID: 40595627.
Gu Y, Singh S, Alqarihi A, Alkhazraji S, Gebremariam T, Youssef EG, Liu H, Fan X, Jiang WR, Andes D, Cochrane TR, Schwartz JA, Filler SG, Uppuluri P, Ibrahim AS. A humanized antibody against mucormycosis targets angioinvasion and augments the host immune response. Science Translational Medicine. 2025 Mar 12;17(789):eads7369. PMID: 40073153.
Santana DJ, Anku JAE, Zhao G, Zarnowski R, Johnson CJ, Hautau H, Visser ND, Ibrahim AS, Andes D, Nett JE, Singh S*, O'Meara TR. A Candida auris-specific adhesin, Scf1, governs surface association, colonization, and virulence. Science. 2023 Sep 29;381(6665):1461-1467. PMID: 37769084.
Phan QT, Solis NV, Cravener MV, Swidergall M, Lin J, Huang MY, Liu H, Singh S, Ibrahim AS, Mazzone M, Mitchell AP, Filler SG. Candida albicans stimulates formation of a multi-receptor complex that mediates epithelial cell invasion during oropharyngeal infection. PLoS Pathogens. 2023 Aug 23;19(8):e1011579. PMID: 37611070.
Singh S, Nabeela S, Barbarino A, Ibrahim AS, Uppuluri P. Antibodies targeting Candida albicans Als3 and Hyr1 antigens protect neonatal mice from candidiasis. Frontiers in Immunology. 2022 Jul 22;13:925821. PMID: 35935947.
Ost K, O’ Meara TR, Stephens WZ, Chiaro T, Zhou H, Penman J, Bell R, Catanzaro JR, Song D, Singh S, Call DH, Hwang-Wong E, Hanson KE, Valentine JF, Christensen KA, O’Connell RM, Cormack B, Ibrahim AI, Palm NW, Noble SM & Round JL. Adaptive immunity promotes a mutually beneficial interaction between commensal eukaryotes. Nature. 2021 July 14, 596, pages114–118. PMID: 34262174.
Soliman SSM*, Baldin C*, Gu Y*, Singh S*, Gebremariam T, Swidergall M, Alqarihi A, Youssef EG, Alkhazraji S, Pikoulas A, Perske C, Venkataramani V, Rich A, Bruno VM, Hotopp JD, Mantis NJ, Edwards JE Jr, Filler SG, Chamilos G, Vitetta ES, Ibrahim AS. Mucoricin is a Ricin-Like Toxin that is Critical for the Pathogenesis of Mucormycosis. Nature Microbiology. 2021 Jan 18. PMID: 33462434. (*Equal contribution)
Iyer KA, Camara K, Daniel-Ivadd M, Trilles R, Pimentel-Elardod SM, Fossen JL, Marchillo K, Liu Z, Singh S, Muñoz JF, Kim SH, Porco JA Jr, Cuomo CA, Williams NS, Ibrahim AS, Edwards JE Jr, Andes DR, Nodwell JR, Brown LE, Whitesell L, Robbins N, Cowen LE. Novel 3,3-diarylated oxindole efflux inhibitor provides a promising approach to combat azole resistance in the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris. Nature Communications. 2020 Dec 22; 11, 6429. PMID: 33353950.
Singh S, Uppuluri P, Mamouei Z, Alqarihi A, Elhassan H, French S, Lockhart SR, Chiller T, Edwards Jr JE, Ibrahim AS. The NDV-3A vaccine protects mice from multidrug-resistant Candida auris infection. PLoS Pathogens. 2019 Aug 5; 15(8): e1007460. PMID: 31381597.
Alqarihi A*, Singh S*, Edwards Jr JE, Ibrahim AS, Uppuluri P. NDV-3A vaccination protects mice from Candida albicans biofilm infection. Nature Scientific Report. 2019 Apr 17;9(1):6194. PMID: 30996274. (*Equal contribution).
Implications and applications in vaccines and immunotherapies
Year: 2022
ISSN 1664-8714
ISBN 978-2-88963-965-6
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
21st Edition, Year : 2022
ISBN: 978-1-264-26846-7
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
20th Edition, Year : 2019
eBook ISBN: 978-1-259-64404-7
Chapter 211 Digital Extra: Candida auris: An emerging multi-drug resistant Candida species
Adenoviruses
First Edition, Year : 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-1-83962-052-2
Machine Learning and IoT: A Biological Perspective
First Edition, Year : 2018
ISBN (eBook): 9781351029940
Singh S, Edwards J, Uppuluri P, Ibrahim AS. Methods of Treatment for Candida auris Infections. PCT/US2018/026889, EP18166876.5; Publication Date: Oct 16, 2019. [Link]
Singh S, Kumar R. & Agrawal B. Methods of Inducing Immune Response to Hepatitis C Virus. US patent application No. 62/103919; PCT Application No. CA2016/000015; Publication No. WO/2016/112459, Publication Date: July 21, 2016. [Link]
The Lundquist Institute
at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
1124 West Carson Street
Medical Research Building (MRL)
Torrance, California 90502