David J. Roach MD, MBA, MSc

Infectious diseases physician and physician-scientist building low-cost diagnostics for drug-resistant bacterial infections.

  • Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Associate Physician, Infectious Diseases — Brigham and Women's Hospital & Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Infectious Disease & Microbiome Program — Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
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Portrait of David J. Roach

Research

Genomics-driven diagnostics for resistant infections

My research uses whole genome sequencing and emerging molecular technologies to improve how we diagnose and manage drug-resistant bacterial infections — particularly in places where conventional laboratory infrastructure is out of reach.

My early work built pipelines for large-scale sequencing of bacterial pathogens across diverse clinical settings, from hospital-wide surveillance of E. coli to a year of prospective sequencing in an intensive care unit. These studies revealed extensive genetic diversity within pathogenic species and cryptic transmission between patients, with implications for pathogenesis, infection control, and vaccine development.

I later turned to bacteria from international settings, especially carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Peru, to understand the genetic factors behind the very different rates of resistance seen around the world. That work led to my current focus: inexpensive, portable diagnostics that can be used in low-resource settings.

I am the inventor of BADLOCK (Bacterial and AMR Detection by SHERLOCK), a patent-pending CRISPR-Cas13a assay that identifies bacterial species and high-risk resistance genes directly from positive blood cultures using only a heat block and a basic fluorometer. Validation studies and implementation work in Lima, Peru are underway, supported by an NIH K08 Career Development Award.

Low-cost CRISPR diagnosticsBADLOCK and related assays for rapid pathogen and resistance-gene detection.
Bacterial genomics & AMRWhole genome sequencing of clinical isolates to track resistance, plasmids, and transmission.
Global healthCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales cohorts and diagnostic implementation in Peru.
Clinical epidemiologySepsis, antibiotic use, colonization risk, and outcomes of bloodstream infection.
Selected recognition
  • 2025Broad Innovation Fellow, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
  • 2024Innovator of the Year, Infectious Diseases Society of America
  • 2024People's Choice Award, IDSA Idea Incubator
  • 2024Maxwell Finland Award for Excellence in Research, Massachusetts Infectious Diseases Society
  • 2023Information Technology Award, Massachusetts Medical Society
  • 2019Excellence in Teaching Award, UW Internal Medicine Residency
  • 2016Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
  • 2015Magnuson Scholar, University of Washington
  • 2012Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellow

Publications

Selected publications

* Equal contribution. For a complete, up-to-date list see Google Scholar.

2026

  • A rapid, inexpensive diagnostic for bacterial pathogen and resistance detection in resource-limited settings

    Roach DJ*, Sangruji BP*, Bhat S*, Tesfamariam S, Ben-Zion I, Bern M, Bagnall J, Shoresh N, Milien L, Bhattacharyya RP

    Science Advances 12, eaeb6630 (2026)

    PDF DOI

  • Rapid development and field evaluation of a portable CRISPR-based assay for Mpox during the 2025 Sierra Leone outbreak

    Gopal N, Abay T, Payne C, … Allan-Blitz LT, Roach DJ, Paye MF, … Ozonoff A, Sabeti PC

    Nature Communications (2026)

    PDF DOI

  • Low-cost approaches for detecting antimicrobial resistance in bacterial infections in resource-limited settings: a scoping review

    Roach DJ*, Krapp F*, Bhat S, Flynn DB, Allan-Blitz L, Bhattacharyya R

    npj Antimicrobials and Resistance (2026)

    DOI

  • Cutting to the Chase

    Kahn J, Vaidya A, Roach D, Havens JM, Thomas V, Levy B

    New England Journal of Medicine 394, e47 (2026)

2025

  • Infection risk associated with colonization by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: an umbrella review and meta-analysis

    Woodhouse EW*, Alsoubani M*, Roach DJ*, Flynn DB, LaValley M, Sheridan K, Hooper DC, Fowler VG Jr, Duffy EM, Grossman TH

    Open Forum Infectious Diseases 12(7):ofaf365

    PDF DOI

  • Frequency of antibiotic overtreatment and associated harms in patients presenting with suspected sepsis to the emergency department: a retrospective cohort study

    Shappell CN, Yu T, Klompas M, … Roach DJ, Train SE, Zepeski A, Rhee C

    Clinical Infectious Diseases 80(6):1197–1207

    PDF DOI

  • Antibody responses in Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection: a prospective cohort study

    Hwang W, Wantuch PL, Bernshtein B, … Roach DJ, Rao SR, Turbett SE, … Rosen DA, Harris JB

    The Lancet Microbe 6(4):100988

    PDF PubMed

  • Complex sepsis presentations, SEP-1 compliance, and outcomes

    Rhee C, Train SE, Filbin MR, … Roach DJ, Porter E, … Yu T, Klompas M

    JAMA Network Open 8(3):e251100

    PDF DOI

  • Bioactivity of biofilm lifestyles in extreme environments Review

    Bhat S, Roach DJ

    Frontiers in Microbiology 16 (2025)

    PDF DOI

  • Pharmacology of bacterial cell wall synthesis Book chapter

    Varnum H*, Roach DJ*, Kanjilal S*

    Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy, 5th ed.

2024

  • Clinical pilot of bacterial transcriptional profiling as a combined genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility test

    Young EL*, Roach DJ*, Martinsen MA, McGrath GEG, Holbrook NR, Cho HE, Seyoum EY, Pierce VM, Bhattacharyya RP

    Journal of Clinical Microbiology 62(11):e0099724

    PDF DOI

  • Clinical and genomic characterization of a cohort of patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection

    Roach DJ*, Sridhar S*, Oliver E, Rao SR, Slater DM, Hwang W, Hutt Vater K, Dinesh A, Qadri F, Chisti MJ, Pierce VM, Turbett SE, Bhattacharyya RP, Worby CJ, Earl AM, LaRocque RC, Harris JB

    Clinical Infectious Diseases 78(1):31–39

    PDF DOI
2021

  • Characterization of secondary bacterial infections and antibiotic use in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome

    Risa E*, Roach DJ*, Budak JZ, Hebert C, Chan JD, Mani NS, Bryson-Cahn C, Town J, Johnson NJ

    Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 36(10):1167–1175

    PDF DOI
2020

  • Whole genome sequencing of Peruvian Klebsiella pneumoniae identifies novel plasmid vectors bearing carbapenem resistance gene NDM-1

    Roach DJ, Waalkes A, Abanto J, Zunt J, Cucho C, Soria J, Salipante SJ

    Open Forum Infectious Diseases 7(8):ofaa266

    PDF DOI
2015

  • A year of infection in the intensive care unit: prospective whole genome sequencing of bacterial clinical isolates reveals cryptic transmissions and novel microbiota

    Roach DJ, Burton JN, Lee C, Stackhouse B, Butler-Wu SM, Cookson BT, Shendure J, Salipante SJ

    PLoS Genetics 11(7):e1005413

    PDF DOI

  • Large-scale genomic sequencing of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains

    Salipante SJ*, Roach DJ*, Kitzman JO, Snyder MW, Stackhouse B, Butler-Wu SM, Lee C, Cookson BT, Shendure J

    Genome Research 25(1):119–128

    PDF DOI Featured in Nature Reviews Microbiology Genome Watch (PDF)
2014

  • Primate evolution of the recombination regulator PRDM9

    Schwartz JJ*, Roach DJ*, Thomas JH, Shendure J

    Nature Communications 5:4370

    PDF DOI

PDFs are provided for personal, non-commercial scholarly use. Please cite the published version.

Clinical

Clinical activities

I am board-certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases and also draw on prior training as an intensivist. My clinical practice spans inpatient infectious diseases consultation, overnight ICU coverage, and hospital medicine.

Current

2023 – present
Infectious Diseases Consultant & Attending
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA — inpatient ID consult service and e-consults; teaches medical students, residents, and ID fellows
2023 – present
Infectious Diseases Consultant
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2023 – present
ICU Nocturnist & ID Consultant
Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston, MA — overnight ICU attending and weekend ID coverage
2026 – present
Hospitalist, Internal Medicine
Olympic Medical Center, Port Angeles, WA

Previous

  • 2024 – 2026Hospitalist · UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA
  • 2024 – 2026Hospitalist · Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, MA
  • 2019 – 2021ICU Attending & Nocturnist, Clinical Instructor in Critical Care · Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA

Board certification & licensure

ABIM — Infectious Disease (2023) ABIM — Internal Medicine (2019) Licensed in Massachusetts Licensed in Washington

Teaching & Mentoring

Teaching and mentoring

Teaching

  • 2026 – presentImmunity in Defense and Disease · Harvard Medical School
  • 2025 – presentClin-Path-Micro Case Sessions · Harvard Medical School, medical students
  • 2025 – presentIntro to Clinical Microbiology and Its Global Implications · Brigham and Women's Hospital, internal medicine residents
  • 2023 – presentAntibiotics in the ICU: Antibiotics for the Critical Care Provider · MGH Critical Care Fellowship lecture series
  • 2023 – presentAttending, Infectious Disease Consult Service · Brigham and Women's Hospital, supervising medical students, residents, and ID fellows
  • 2023 – 2025Preceptor, Introduction to Clinical Medicine · Harvard–MIT HST, Harvard Medical School
  • 2019 – 2021ICU Attending · University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center, supervising medical students and residents

Mentored trainees

Shriya Bhat
Harvard College, Class of 2027 · 2024 – present

Sole first author on a review in Frontiers in Microbiology and co-first author on BADLOCK in Science Advances; supported by Harvard College Research Program, MSI, PRISE, and Herchel Smith fellowships.

Bhrus Pun Sangruji
Tufts University · 2023 – present

Thesis on gram-negative detection with SHERLOCK awarded Highest Honors; co-first author on BADLOCK in Science Advances.

Selama Tesfamariam
Howard University, Broad Summer Research Program · 2023

Presented his project at one local and two national conferences; now a medical student at Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine.

Consulting

Consulting

Legal

Medical-legal consultation and expert review in infectious diseases, critical care, and hospital medicine.

  • Kiernan Trebach LLP2026 – present
  • Brassey Crawford2026 – present
  • Stanlan Griffiths Aldridge2026 – present

Professional

Scientific and clinical advising for diagnostics, antibacterial development, and clinical decision support.

  • CARB-XAntibacterial product development accelerator · 2024 – present
  • DynaMedClinical decision support content · 2022 – present
  • DxLabPoint-of-care molecular diagnostics · 2026 – present

Contact

Get in touch

For research collaborations, speaking, or consulting inquiries, please reach out by email or connect online.

djroach@mgh.harvard.edu LinkedIn Google Scholar