Home is where the gut is, at least for the pound or two of bacteria that live in each of our guts contributing to an ecosystem of living and dying bacteria. Recently researchers have begun to investigate the complex community of bacteria that live on and in the human body, what they do, and how they influence disease. Dr. Catherine Lozupone, of the University of Colorado, is interested in how this community differs in health versus disease and the impact of these changes in disease states. Understanding the bacteria that inhabit the human body is a true frontier in science that has generated considerable interest as it is uniquely positioned to increase our understanding of how gut microbes may impact a diversity of diseases including HIV, autism spectrum disorders, obesity, and asthma. In fact, Dr. Lozupone says, her greatest hope is, “that this work will lead to new therapies that improve health.”

Working mostly in the human gut, Dr. Lozupone was involved in the first research to show a link between gut bacteria and obesity and has since investigated microbiota composition in the context of diet, culture, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. Her strong computations skills that are needed to interpret the sequencing of data and her role as a biologist that can interpret results gives her a unique set of tools to make significant contributions to human microbiome research. Thus, her advanced skills combined with her experience in analyzing a large range of diseases, has resulted in a keen eye for drawing connections between different disease states and the impact that microbiome research may have. As a young investigator, having started at the University of Denver in 2013, in addition to her desire to “do good” for the many patients affected by gut bacteria, Dr. Lozupone’s research holds bright promise for the future!

Current research includes:

• HIV: Dr. Lozupone studies how gut bacteria changes in HIV-infected individuals, in whom the immune system is compromised. Her research has found that beneficial bacteria that correlate with diet in healthy individuals do not do so in HIV-infected individuals. She and her team are therefore researching whether this mismatch may be associated with high rates of diet-associated metabolic disease in individuals living with HIV.

• Asthma: Dr. Lozupone is studying the nasal microbes in identical twins where one child has asthma and the other does not. She and her team have found that non-asthmatic twins have a higher prevalence of a bacteria that sticks to diesel fuel droplets and therefore keeps the child healthier. Dr. Lozupone is looking into whether bacteria transform and capture these particles in ways that can decrease their toxicity.

• Autism Spectrum Disorders: Dr. Lozupone is investigating the gut bacteria composition in children with autism spectrum disorders. Ultimately, she and her collaborators hope to devise diet-based strategies and/or probiotics that are tailored to the specific needs of children with autism spectrum disorders.