Paul J Planet, Ph.D, M.D.

faculty photo
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases)
Department: Pediatrics
Graduate Group Affiliations

Contact information
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
3615 Civic Center Blvd
Abramson 1202A
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 9175140695
Education:
BS (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and Anthropology)
Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1996.
Ph.D (Integrated Program for Cellular, Molecular, and Biophysical Studies)
Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY , 2003.
MD
Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, 2004.
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Description of Research Expertise

Paul J. Planet MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a senior researcher at the American Museum of Natural History.

Dr. Planet graduated from Yale University with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology and Molecular Biochemistry & Biophysics. He went on to earn his MD and PhD from Columbia University, where he also completed his residency and fellowship training at the Children’s Hospital of New York. His first faculty appointment was in the division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Columbia University.

Dr. Planet’s research program focuses on the evolution and ecology of infectious disease. His current interests include the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistant strains, particularly community acquired MRSA, and the impact of the pulmonary microbiome in cystic fibrosis. Dr. Planet’s laboratory uses whole genome phylogenetics, high-throughput sequencing, and bioinformatics to generate hypotheses that are then tested with bench-based microbiology and molecular techniques.

Selected Publications

Pitcher NJ, Feder A, Bolden N, Zirbes CF, Pamatmat AJ, Boyken L, Hill JJ, Bartels AR, Thurman AL, Reeb VC, Porterfield HS, Moustafa AM, Planet PJ, Fischer AJ.: Parallel evolution of linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in patients with cystic fibrosis. Microbiol Spectr Sep 2023.

Martínez JRW, Planet PJ, Spencer-Sandino M, Rivas L, Díaz L, Moustafa AM, Quesille-Villalobos A, Riquelme-Neira R, Alcalde-Rico M, Hanson B, Carvajal LP, Rincón S, Reyes J, Lam M, Calderon JF, Araos R, García P, Arias CA, Munita JM.: Dynamics of the MRSA Population in a Chilean Hospital: a Phylogenomic Analysis (2000-2016). Microbiol Spectr 11: e0535122, Aug 2023.

Morreale DP, Porsch EA, Kern BK, St Geme JW 3rd, Planet PJ.: Acquisition, co-option, and duplication of the rtx toxin system and the emergence of virulence in Kingella. Nat Commun 14: 4281, Jul 2023.

Martínez JR, Alcalde-Rico M, Jara-Videla E, Rios R, Moustafa AM, Hanson B, Rivas L, Carvajal LP, Rincon S, Diaz L, Reyes J, Quesille-Villalobos A, Riquelme-Neira R, Undurraga EA, Olivares-Pacheco J, García P, Araos R, Planet PJ, Arias CA, Munita JM.: Heavy Metal Pollution From a Major Earthquake and Tsunami in Chile Is Associated With Geographic Divergence of Clinical Isolates of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Latin America. bioRxiv May 2023.

Freitas AAR, Souza SSR, Faria AR, Planet PJ, Merquior VLC, Teixeira LM.: Draft Genome Sequences of Four Enterococcus cecorum Strains Isolated from American Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Microbiol Resour Announc 12: e0136122, May 2023.

Pitcher NJ, Feder A, Bolden N, Zirbes CF, Pamatmat AJ, Boyken L, Hill JJ, Thurman AL, Reeb VC, Porterfield HS, Moustafa AM, Planet PJ, Fischer AJ.: Parallel Evolution of Linezolid Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis. bioRxiv May 2023.

Lubin JB, Green J, Maddux S, Denu L, Duranova T, Lanza M, Wynosky-Dolfi M, Flores JN, Grimes LP, Brodsky IE, Planet PJ, Silverman MA.: Arresting microbiome development limits immune system maturation and resistance to infection in mice. Cell Host Microbe 31: 554-570, Apr 2023.

Martínez JR, Planet PJ, Maria SS, Lina R, Lorena D, Ana QV, Roberto RN, Manuel AR, Blake H, Carvajal LP, Sandra R, Jinnethe R, Marusella L, Rafael A, Patricia G, Arias CA, Munita JM.: Dynamics of the MRSA Population in A Chilean Hospital: A Phylogenomic Analysis (2000-2016). bioRxiv Feb 2023.

Soldan S, Su C, Monaco MC, Brown N, Clauze A, Andrada F, Feder A, Planet P, Kossenkov A, Schäffer D, Ohayon J, Auslander N, Jacobson S, Lieberman P.: Unstable EBV latency drives inflammation in multiple sclerosis patient derived spontaneous B cells. Res Sq Feb 2023.

Bianco CM, Moustafa AM, O'Brien K, Martin MA, Read TD, Kreiswirth BN, Planet PJ.: Pre-epidemic evolution of the MRSA USA300 clade and a molecular key for classification. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 13: 1081070, Jan 2023.

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Last updated: 09/27/2023
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