Microbiome Research Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog English English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Translation is unavailable for Internet Explorer Cedars-Sinai Home 1-800-CEDARS-1 1-800-CEDARS-1 Close Find a Doctor Locations Programs & Services Health Library Patient & Visitors Community My CS-Link RESEARCH clear Go Close Navigation Links Academics Faculty Development Community Engagement Calendar Research Research Areas Research Labs Departments & Institutes Find Clinical Trials Research Cores Research Administration Basic Science Research Clinical & Translational Research Center (CTRC) Technology & Innovations News & Breakthroughs Education Graduate Medical Education Continuing Medical Education Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Professional Training Programs Medical Students Campus Life Office of the Dean Simulation Center Medical Library Program in the History of Medicine About Us All Education Programs Departments & Institutes Faculty Directory Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute Back to Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute About Us Basic Science Laboratory Research Clinical Trials and Clinical Research Genetics and Genomics Research IBD Surgery Research Microbiome Research MIRIAD IBD Biobank & Database Patient & Control Participation Translational Research Team Microbiome Research Illustrating its importance to IBD, nearly every IBIRI research program is related, in some aspect, to the role of the community of billions of microorganisms living in everyone's gastrointestinal tract known as the microbiome. Genetic abnormalities and disruptions to homeostatic balance can lead to inflammation and IBD. Members of the microbiome include bacteria and fungi. IBIRI has a special emphasis on the role of the microbiome in inflammation with investigators such as David Underhill, PhD, Jonathan Braun, MD, PhD, Suzanne Devkota, PhD, and Ivan Vujkovic-Cvijin, PhD, whose expertise can overcome the challenges of heterogeneity in microbiome research. Selected Microbiome Research Programs Fungi the Immune System and Inflammatory Response David Underhill, PhD, and his laboratory group have discovered that fungi are among the microbes normally found in the gastrointestinal tract and on the skin surface. Fungi play a role in inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease. He has shown people with Crohn's disease have increased amounts of several fungi in their intestinal mucosa. Dr. Underhill's team is working to determine how the interaction between these fungi and the immune system contributes to the inflammatory response. Innate immune response to the microbiome. Mucosal-Microbiome Interaction Jonathan Braun, MD, PhD, and team study the biology of mucosal-microbiome interaction and its impact on mucosal inflammation and cancer. The focus of his research is to define how host genetics and mucosal microbial ecology shape intestinal immunoregulation, inflammatory bowel pathogenesis and intestinal carcinogenesis. This work is based in both human and murine models using innovative 'omic' and bioinformatic-based approaches (functional immune assessment, tissue proteomics, genome-wide genetics, and microbiome metagenomics and metabolomics). Projects underway include metaboproteomic assessment of microbiome ecology, the development of an innovative tool to impute intestinal microbiome composition and function from the plasma metabolome, and studies of epithelial autoimmunity in IBD pathogenesis. Diet Microbial Composition and Inflammation Suzanne Devkota, PhD, and her laboratory group are interested in the effect of diet on microbial composition and inflammation. She has shown that nutrients are mediators of health through interaction with the gut microbiome. She has also shown a direct mechanism between an opportunistic microbe and Th-1 mediated colitis. Dr. Devkota's lab also focuses on intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation. They have discovered that creeping fat provides a mechanism for transporting bacteria into the intestine. Immunostimulatory Gut Microbes Ivan Vujkovic-Cvijin, PhD, and his team seek to identify gut microbes that spur harmful inflammation in IBD as well as other human inflammatory diseases. Vujkovic-Cvijin has identified gut microbial signatures that may contribute to HIV-associated inflammatory diseases, to immunotherapy responses in the setting of cancer, and various monogenic immune diseases. Vujkovic-Cvijin's Lab is actively seeking to uncover methods by which to modulate the human gut microbiota for therapeutic benefit. Have Questions or Need Help Contact us if you have questions, or wish to learn more about the IBIRI. Inflammatory Bowel & Immunobiology Research Institute 8700 Beverly Blvd. Davis Building, Suite D4063 Los Angeles CA 90048 310-423-7723 SEND A MESSAGE Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility