Mechanisms Underlying Host-Microbiome Interactions in Pathophysiology of Human Diseases

Dr. Jun Sun is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, U.S.A. She is a Fellow of American Gastroenterological Association (AGAF). Her research interests are host-microbiome interactions in inflammation and cancer. Her key achievements include 1) characterization of the role of vitamin D receptor in regulation of gut microbiome in intestinal homeostasis and inflammation; 2) identification of dysbiosis and gut dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); 3) identification of the role of gut bacteria in regulating intestinal stem cells, and 4) identification and characterization of the Salmonella effector protein AvrA in host-bacterial interactions in infection and cancer. Dr. Sun has published over 120 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Cell Stem Cells, Nature Genetics, Gut, JBC, American Journal of Pathology, American Journal of Physiology-GI. She is on the editorial board of more than 10 peer-reviewed international scientific journals. She serves on several study sections e.g. NIH, American Cancer Society, and other national and international research foundations. Her research is supported by the NIH, DOD, and other industry sponsored awards. Using several models including transgenic mice, germ-free animals, and human samples, her laboratory is currently pursuing in the following directions: 1) Novel roles of gut microbiome in colon cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, infectious diseases, obesity, ALS, and other human diseases; 2) Bacterial regulation of vitamin D/vitamin D receptor in inflammation and cancer; and 3) Bacterial regulation of intestinal stem cells. Dr. Pradeep K. Dudeja is a Professor of Physiology in Medicine at Univ. of Illinois at Chicago and a Senior Research Career Scientist at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. His research primarily focuses on an understanding of the pathophysiology of diarrheal diseases and to develop better therapeutic interventions. Our focus has been on host-microbe interactions with respect to the mechanisms underlying infectious diarrhea as it relates to infections by a food-borne pathogen Enteropathogenic E. coli and diarrhea elicited by C. difficile infection.  We are also investigating the mechanisms underlying antidiarrheal role of probiotics.  Another focus of his group has been to understand the mechanisms of absorption of key bacterial metabolites: short chain fatty acids and their role in intestinal health in general and implications in gut fluid absorption and gut inflammation. Dr. Dudeja has published over 200 original peer reviewed articles in journals including Gastroenterology, J. Clin. Investigation, J. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Am. J. Physiol..  He serves as an Editor for Comprehensive Physiology and serves on the editorial board of many journals including Gastroenterology, AJP-GI-Liver, Digestive Diseases & Sciences and Physiological Reports.  He has been serving on many grant review committees including NIH and VA.