Researchers
Below are researchers funded by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation who are working in the microbiome.
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Eric Martens, PhD
Professor, University of Michigan, Former Grantee
The Martens lab investigates the symbiotic microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract at multiple levels with the goal of using diet and gut microbial interventions to treat chronic conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
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Sarkis Mazmanian, PhD
Professor, California Institute of Technology, Current Grantee
The Mazmanian lab aims to discover how the gut microbiome influences development and function of the immune and nervous systems, to understand mechanisms that contribute to the pathophysiology of immunological and behavioral disorders.
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Manuela Raffatellu, MD
Professor; University of California, San Diego; Current Grantee
The Raffatellu lab’s research focus is to understand the complex interplays between gut pathogens, mucosal immunity and the gut microbiota, with the long-term goal of discovering novel and effective therapeutic targets for controlling infection.
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Eran Segal, PhD
Faculty, Weizmann Institute of Science, Former Grantee
Dr. Segal is part of a multi-disciplinary lab of computational biologists and scientists focusing on microbiome, nutrition, genetics, and gene regulation in health and disease.
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Sidhartha Sinha, MD
Assistant Professor, Stanford University, Current Grantee
The Sinha lab aims to develop novel solutions to alleviate intestinal inflammatory conditions. Their research is focused on understanding microenvironment changes to identify better therapeutic targets for people with GI immune-mediated disorders.
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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.