Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Our current research includes studies on:
1. The frequency and sequence of symptomatic and asymptomatic microbial exposures in children and their role in determining long-term health (the STORK study). To do this, we are conducting a birth cohort study of 200 children, starting when the children are still in utero. We get weekly information about their health status and also have a huge database of biosamples. We are working with numerous collaborators to look at microbiome, virome and immunome development and their health consequences.
2. The role of the skin microbiome in immunologic development in infants, and particularly in the development of atopy.
3. The effects of antimicrobial chemicals in personal care products on infection, inflammation, endocrine function and the microbiome. We are particularly focused on triclosan and triclocarban, two very common antimicrobial chemicals in toothpaste, soaps and plastics.
3. Changes in human physiology over generations that might be related to alterations in history of infectious disease exposures.
