About

My current research emphasizes mechanisms by which resident bacterial subsets stimulate protective vs inflammatory mucosal immune responses. I use established and novel gnotobiotic murine models to identify protective vs aggressive resident bacterial subsets and to determine their mechanisms of action. We explore functional consequences of microbial communities in selectively colonized gnotobiotic mice and following fecal transplants using murine or human donors. Major initiatives explore therapeutic potential of existing and novel bacterial consortia in preclinical models, including humanized mice colonized by pooled IBD fecal transplants. The effect of diet on bacterial metabolic function/bacterial interaction are recent areas of interest. Parallel translational studies in IBD patients explore microbial biomarkers that identify risk of recurrence after Crohn’s disease surgery and onset of pouchitis after colectomy for ulcerative colitis. Mentoring and, career development are very meaningful activities for me. Fellowship training one-on-one in my laboratory and by directing a Basic Science T32 program and mentoring junior faculty are priorities.