My research involving the microbiome is focused on two areas. First, my lab uses the pig as a more human relevant animal models of disease to study the links between gut microbiota modulation and host health with an emphasis on diarrheal illnesses.

More specifically, we have developed models of childhood malnutrition and enterotoxigenic E. coli infection and are exploring the relationships between the microbiome, metabolome and transcriptome along the length of the intestinal tract. Second, my lab has been investigating microbial populations in the milk and manure of farm animals including goats, cattle and horses.