研究领域

查看导师新发文章 （温馨提示：请注意重名现象，建议点开原文通过作者单位确认）

The two areas of my current research are extensions of my graduate and postdoctoral work: The digestive-tract microbiota of animals can provide nutrients, aid in digestion, stimulate the immune response, and prevent pathogenic bacteria from colonizing. Despite the recent advances in understanding beneficial digestive-tract associations, little is known regarding the molecular interactions between microbe and host, largely due to the complexity of the microbiota and an inability to culture much of the microbial consortium. I utilize a simple model system, the Aeromonas veronii-medicinal leech model, to study digestive-tract associations, which allows for the investigation into the molecular mechanisms that drive the symbiosis. This in turn will provide insight into more complex digestive-tract associations (e.g., the human gut). The daily light-dark cycle has been one of the steadiest environmental factors influencing evolution. From bacteria to mammals, nearly all organisms have adapted their physiology and behavior to a daily rhythm. Circadian rhythms refer to physiologic processes that oscillate with a period of approximately 24 hours, providing a temporal frame that allows organisms to efficiently program their physiologic tasks and optimize survival. Circadian rhythms influence a multitude of physiologic tasks, from gene expression to behavior. My research investigates the circadian regulation of the innate immune system, which represents the first line of defense against infection, and determining how these rhythms influence our susceptibility to infection as well as the potential to maximize vaccine responsiveness in a time-dependent manner.