Researchers
Below are researchers funded by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation who are working in immunity and inflammation.

Garth Swanson, MD
Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, Current Grantee
Dr. Swanson’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of intestinal barrier homeostasis that drive IBD, and how environmental factors like circadian misalignment and alcohol impact intestinal barrier permeability.

Jhimmy Talbot, PhD
Assistant Professor, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Current Grantee
The Talbot lab investigates how food and microbes are sensed by neurons in the gut and their influence on immunity, nutrition, and metabolism.

Christoph Thaiss, PhD
Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Current Grantee
The ThaissLab is interested in understanding the environmental impacts on human physiology. Deciphering the role of environmental and lifestyle elements will transform the ability to decode host-environment circuits that regulate physiology.

Mark Travis, PhD
Professor, University of Manchester, Current Grantee
Dr. Travis aims to identify key cells and molecules that control immune responses in health and disease. He is focused on how myeloid cells control immune reactions in the intestine to understand what goes wrong during…

Andrew Wang, MD
Professor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Current Grantee
The Wang lab aims to apply advances in engineering to improve disease treatment. They developed a novel approach to treat autoimmune diseases using lessons they learned and cutting-edge techniques like glycoengineering and tissue engineering.

Xu Zhou, PhD
Assistant Professor, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Current Grantee
The Zhou lab studies tissue-level homeostasis and inflammation, and uses interdisciplinary approaches to understand how immune cells communicate with their neighbors and surrounding environment.