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Glenn J. Rapsinski, MD, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Rapsinski received his bachelors of science degree in biology from Saint Vincent College for his undergraduate education. He then attended the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University where he completed the MD/PhD program and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. His PhD research examined the development of and immune responses to the amyloid component, curli fibrils, of biofilms formed by Salmonella typhimurium. He completed his pediatrics residency and pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. During fellowship, he studied respiratory tract infections in patients with cystic fibrosis including the sinus microbiome during chronic rhinosinusitis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa responses to host potassium improving biofilm formation on airway epithelium in the lab of Dr. Jennifer Bomberger.
As an independent researcher, Dr. Rapsinski's Lab focuses on chronic bacterial Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children who require mechanical ventilation. The lab uses clinical isolates to examine adaptations of P. aeruginosa to the airway environment when a child needs mechanical ventilation. We also use vitro evolution models to understand the contributions of the abiotic surface and the nutritional environment to these adaptations. Lastly, the lab studies host pathogen interactions at the airway epithelial cell interface using air-liquid interface models with primary airway epithelial cells and changes in the host epithelium resulting from prolonged ventilator support.
His clinical research interest is improving patient care through diagnostic stewardship and studying the management of infections in children with chronic ventilator needs.
Professional and Scientific Society Memberships
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, 2017-Present
- American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016-Present
- American Medical Association, 2016-Present
- Alpha Omega Alpha, 2016-Present
- American Society for Microbiology, 2013
- Eastern Pennsylvania Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, 2011-2014
Education & Training
- BS, Saint Vincent College, 2009
- PhD, Temple University School of Medicine, 2016
- Residency in Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2019
- Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2022
Selected Publications
Sick-Samuels AC, Woods-Hill CZ, Kelly DP, Koontz DW, Elhaissouni N, Kumar U, Xie A, Richardson T, Dutta S, Marsteller JA, Colantuoni E, Milstone AM; BrighT STAR Respiratory Authorship Group; Aldewereld Z, Auth MJ, Banerjee R, Blumenthal JA, Boyle K, Cecil C, Dallefeld S, Flaherty BF, Foster CB, Gowda KMN, Hardy KA, Hauger SB, Green Hines A, Hong SJ, Hysmith ND, Kiragu A, Kirby AL, Koutsari C, Larsen GY, Naureckas Li C, Lin JC, Marx MHM, Norton BM, Priebe GP, Rapsinski GJ, Same RG, Schwenk HT, Steffen KM, Tadphale SD, Toltzis P, Walker L. Diagnostic Stewardship of Respiratory Cultures Using Clinical Decision Support in the PICU. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Jul 1;9(7):e2626547. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.26547. PMID: 42536370; PMCID: PMC13428280.
Sick-Samuels AC, Kelly DP, Woods-Hill CZ, Arthur A, Kumar U, Koontz DW, Marsteller JA, Milstone AM; BrighT STAR (Testing STewardship for Antibiotic Reduction) Respiratory Consensus Authorship group. Diagnostic Stewardship of Endotracheal Aspirate Cultures in Hospitalized Children With Artificial Airways: Expert Consensus Statements From the BrighT STAR (Testing STewardship for Antibiotic Reduction) Respiratory Collaborative. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2025 Apr 1;26(4):e569-e582. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000003695. Epub 2025 Feb 12. PMID: 39945582; PMCID: PMC11960680.
Rapsinski GJ, Rokes AB, Van Tyne D, Cooper VS. Mutations leading to ceftolozane/tazobactam and imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam resistance during in vivo exposure to ceftazidime/avibactam in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Mar 4;13(3):e0231224. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02312-24. Epub 2025 Feb 11. PMID: 39932323; PMCID: PMC11878083.
Rapsinski GJ, Hill M, Yarrington KD, Haas AL, D’Amico EJ, Armbruster CR, Zemke A, Limoli D, Bomberger JM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses and responds to epithelial potassium flux via Kdp operon to promote biofilm biogenesis. PLoS Pathog, 2024 May 31;20(5):e1011453. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011453. eCollection 2024 May. PubMed PMID 38820569
Gallo PM1, Rapsinski, GJ1, Wilson RP, Oppong GO, Sriram U, Goulian M, Buttaro B, Caricchio R, Gallucci S, Tükel Ç. "Amyloid-DNA composites of bacterial biofilms stimulate autoimmunity." Immunity. (2015). 42(6): 1171-84. (1Co-first authors)
Rapsinski, GJ, Wynosky-Dolfi MA, Oppong GO, Tursi SA, Wilson RP, Brodsky IE, Tükel Ç. “Toll-like receptor 2 and NLRP3 cooperate to recognize a functional bacterial amyloid, curli.” Infection and Immunity. (2015). 83(2):693-701.
Rapsinski, GJ, Newman TN, Oppong, GO, van Putten JP, Tükel Ç. "CD14 protein acts as an adaptor molecule for the immune recognition of Salmonella curli fibers." Journal of Biological Chemistry. (2013). 288(20): 1478-88.