Researchers - Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Researchers

Supporting new and seasoned investigators alike and embracing untested ideas gives us the best chance of discovering breakthroughs in IBD research. Get to know our Health Program grantees.

Headshot of Evelyn Lake

Evelyn Lake, PhD

Associate Professor, Yale University, Current Grantee

Dr. Lake works on the development and application of multimodal neuroimaging methods to advance our collective understanding of brain function.
Headshot of Dr. James Lee.

James Lee, MD, PhD

Clinician Scientist Group Leader, The Francis Crick Institute , Current Grantee

The Lee lab studies how tiny differences in our DNA predispose us to autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. By uncovering the biological mechanisms involved, they hope to better understand these conditions and find new ways of treating them. 
Headshot of Dale Lee

Dale Lee, MD

Associate Professor, Seattle Children's Hospital, Current Grantee

Dr. Lee studies dietary therapy and the role of food additives in IBD with the goal of helping children achieve their potential and not be limited by their medical conditions.
Headshot of Xin Li

Xin Li, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Current Grantee

Dr. Li’s lab aims to identify novel microbial effectors and host determinants involved in fungal and bacterial sensing through interdisciplinary approaches, including biochemistry, CRISPR-based genetic editing, in vitro screening, high-resolution imaging, animal models and human patient resources.
Kenneth Rainin Foundation logo in grayscale

Amy Lightner, MD

Professor, Scripps Research, Former Grantee

Dr. Lightner specializes in colon and rectal surgery. She is advancing research on regenerative cellular and acellular based therapeutic approaches to offer her Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients non-surgical alternatives.
Headshot of Dan Littman

Dan Littman, MD, PhD

Professor, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Current Grantee

Dr. Littman’s lab studies how information from the environment, including microbiota and metabolites, is relayed to cells of the immune system and how this is manifested in homeostatic processes as well as in pathological conditions.