Welcome to the Round Lab

The microbiota is now appreciated to have clear and important effects on mammalian health. However, this community is complex including bacterial, fungal and viral members. Moreover, most research in this area is correlative and lacks clear mechanistic studies. My research program is designed to extend beyond the correlative studies and draw causal associations between gut microbes and health. I have designed this program to analyze a diverse array of microbes including bacteriophages (viral), fungi and bacteria and to uncover the mechanistic underpinnings of how these organisms influence disease.

Our work extends into many areas of health including gastro-intestinal diseases such as IBD and colorectal cancer, neurological disorders and metabolism. Given this breadth, my research program integrates a wealth of collaborators to ensure well-rounded expertise in all areas. This has allowed us to move into new areas and forge an inter-disciplinary training program for students and post-doctoral fellows that train in my laboratory. My end goal is to exploit interactions with commensal microbes and the host immune system to harness microbial products for therapies.