Research Interest

The major research of our lab focuses on assessment of the genetic and environmental factors, particularly the microbiome contributing to complex disease pathogenesis.We have proposed several research projects seeking to study the genetic predisposition and the interplay of host genetics and gut microbiome in complex diseases, including Crohn’s disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis and Type II Diabetes patients with and without periodontal disease. The Microbiome study on Crohn’s Disease has been funded by NIDDK K01 award, R03 award and CCFA career development award. I am also interested to study the role of mother-baby efflux on initial microbial colonization in GI tract of fetus. As co-investigator of a current CCFA funded MECONIUM study led by Dr. Peter Inga and Dr. Jean-Frederick Colombel, we aim to understand the changes in the microbiome during pregnancy in women with IBD and compare the bacterial composition of the newborn meconium, placenta, cord blood and maternal stool and saliva in newborns paired with their mothers with and without IBD.