Host – Microbiome Interactions
The collection of all microorganisms associated with the human body (microbiome) weigh approximately the same as the human brain; substantially outnumber human cells and contribute to orders of magnitude more unique protein coding genes than the number of genes of the human genome. Yet how human microbiome influences human brain in health and diseases and modulate behavior remain largely unexplored.
We are broadly interested in understanding the interactions between brain-gut microbiome axis in the context of neuropsychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. To address these interactions we collaborate with neuroscientists and clinicians and employ metagenomic analyses of RNA, DNA, and proteins obtained from patient specimens and focus on translational aspects of the human microbiome.
Researchers