Dr. Zaas’ research focuses on the genetic basis of host response to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. In collaboration with Drs. David Schwartz and John Perfect, she has characterized differential susceptibility to invasive aspergillosis amongst inbred strains of mice and is using positional cloning and positional candidate gene studies to define genetic polymorphisms that contribute to aspergillus susceptibility. At present, Dr. Zaas has active collaborations with Roche PaloAlto and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to elucidate the role of human genetic polymorphisms in aspergillus susceptibility. Additionally, she is evaluating the role of toll-like receptors in the response to Aspergillus fumigatus. Dr. Zaas is one of 6 recipients of the NIH-sponsored Mentored Clinical Research Scholar’s Program awards and is completing her Master’s of Health Sciences in Genomics at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Dr. Zaas has a clinical interest in medical mycology and infectious complications of solid organ and hematopoetic stem cell transplantation. She participates in clinical trials regarding antifungal use and antifungal pharmacokinetics. She is the member of numerous professional societies and has served as a reviewer for multiple diverse medical journals.