The Microbiome in Colorectal Precancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) does not arise overnight. Rather, it takes years, even decades, and there is a progression through precancerous stages prior to CRC. The gut microbiome and other environmental factors heavily influence this progression. In fact, most individuals who develop CRC do not have an inherited genetic predisposition. A central focus of our lab is identifying microbial genes, pathways, and networks that drive progression from healthy to precancer states and ultimately to CRC. This work aims to define early, actionable microbial states that mark disease risk and illuminate biological processes that may be targeted for CRC prevention. We anticipate that this work will broaden the scope of what we target in the years before CRC.
Microbial Ecosystems in Precancer and Cancer
Microbiomes are stable in the short term but can — over a longer time horizon — reorganize in the transitions from health to precancer and cancer. Here we explore how gut microbial ecosystems enable certain microbes to disproportionately influence our biology, from risk of developing CRC to our response to cancer treatments such as immunotherapy.
Disarming Harmful Microbes to Prevent Cancer
Some gut microbes produce carcinogens, while others can produce chemoprotective (anti-carcinogenic) molecules. We use genetic, culture-based, and preclinical tools to study how these bacterial functions are regulated within complex communities by other microbes including phages. We aim to identify precision strategies to neutralize cancer-promoting microbial activities without disrupting beneficial microbes.
Methods & Platforms: From Code to Cultures to the Clinic
Our lab is interdisciplinary, and projects typically involve both wet lab and dry lab methods. Trainees gain experience across a wide range of experimental and analytical approaches, including metagenomic sequencing and statistical modeling, in vitro bacterial culture and infection assays, microbial genetics and engineering, and in vivo preclinical models of host-microbe interactions. We also work with human cohorts and clinical datasets to ensure our discoveries remain grounded in real-world biology and patient relevance. Regardless of background, trainees are encouraged to develop both depth and range, building the tools needed to ask creative questions and make meaningful impact.