Dr. Ram Maharjan is a Senior Research Fellow at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, where he investigates the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms that enable bacteria to survive and adapt under hostile conditions. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney in 2008 and has since established a research program integrating functional genomics, molecular biology, and experimental evolution to understand how stress responses shape genome dynamics, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogen fitness. Trained in microbial evolution and population biology, Dr. Maharjan has developed a distinctive interdisciplinary approach that bridges genomics and evolutionary theory. He has contributed to influential studies published in leading journals, including Science, PLOS Biology, and Nucleic Acids Research, advancing understanding of bacterial adaptation and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. His research focuses on the opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, a major cause of hospital-acquired infections with exceptional tolerance to desiccation, oxidative stress, and antibiotics. Using integrated functional genomics approaches, his work defines key regulatory networks underlying bacterial stress adaptation, identifying central regulators such as DksA and the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor σX that coordinate stress resilience, genome stability, mutation rates, and virulence. Dr. Maharjan’s research provides important insights into the evolution of clinically significant pathogens and identifies potential molecular targets to limit antimicrobial resistance. At BacPath 2026, he will present his latest findings on how coordinated regulatory networks enable bacterial survival and pathogenicity under extreme environmental pressures.