Microbiota—communities of bacteria, fungi and other microbes—have the potential to influence virtually every area of health. They create a delicate and mysterious balance between human cells that affects how people age and their response to medical therapies and treatments.

The USF Initiative on Microbiomes focuses on transdisciplinary research that brings together the colleges of USF Health, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering to discover how the microbiome can advance treatments for human medicine and beyond.

Christian Brechot, MD, PhD

Spearheading the initiative is Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for research in global affairs and associate vice president for international partnerships and innovation. Dr. Bréchot is the former president of the world-renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris and joined USF Health in 2018 to help strengthen biomedical and interdisciplinary research.

The USF Initiative on Microbiomes recently announced its first Microbiome Research Award recipients, who are using microbiome research to discover possible treatments for neurological disorders and diseases.

Researchers Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD, PhD, of the Morsani College of Medicine, and Monica Uddin, PhD, of the USF College of Public Health, received the first grants. Dr. Sanchez-Ramos’ research focuses on discovering the role of the gut microbiome in the progression of Huntington’s disease, and Dr. Uddin’s study will examine the role of the gut microbiome in depression.

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To learn how to support microbiome research at USF, contact Arthur Santos at (813) 974-0356 or development@health.usf.edu.