I'm a Pelotonia-funded researcher at the James. My lab studies how the microbiome affects cancer outcomes, particularly in older adults. We focus on how to modify the microbiome to make more patients have a strong response to their cancer treatment. Check out a video about my research here and here.

I expect that in several years patients who receive a cancer diagnosis will immediately have their microbiome checked to determine if it's in an optimal state for a response to therapy. If it isn't, we'll modify the microbiome through diet interventions or some other means. My lab has ongoing projects both to identify which microbes are important, as well as to alter the microbiome in defined ways so we can increase response to treatments like immunotherapy.