Sarkis Mazmanian

Immunologic and neurologic imbalances underlie many diseases. The human body represents a scaffold upon which multitudes of commensal species build residence, creating a diverse ecosystem with members of five of the six kingdoms of life. Mechanisms that mediate the interdependent and complex interactions between the microbiome and animals, as well as their influences on human health, represent an exciting frontier of science and medicine. Our laboratory aims to discover how gut bacteria influence the development and function of the immune and nervous systems, with the goal of understanding mechanisms by which the microbiome contributes to the critical balance between health and disease.