Andrew Koh, MD
Associate Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dr. Koh’s lab focuses on understanding how the gut microbiome influences host immune responses in cancer and stem cell transplant patients. Specific projects include bacterial/fungal infections originating from the gut, graft-versus host disease, the evolution of antibiotic resistance in the mammalian gut, and host immune anti-tumor response.

Nathan Price, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer, Thorne Health Tech

Dr. Nathan Price was previously CEO of Onegevity, an Al health intelligence company that merged with Thorne in 2021 and was co-founder of Arivale, a scientific wellness company, that was named as Geekwire’s 2016 startup of the year. Additionally, Dr. Price is a faculty member on leave at the Insitute for Systems Biolgy, and an affiliate faculty at the University of Washington in the Departments of Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering, and Molecular & Cellular Biology. In 2019, he was selected by the National Academy of Medicine as one of their 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine.

Manzoor Bhat, MS, PhD
Professor and Vice Dean for Research, UT Health San Antonio

Dr. Bhat’s research focus has been in the area of genetic and molecular processes that underlie axonal demyelination, neurodegeneration and synaptic organization. Over the years, Dr. Bhat’s lab has made many seminal discoveries identifying several key genes that underlie the organization and maintenance of axon-glial interactions, and saltatory nerve impulse propagation.

Yong Ge, PhD
Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio

Dr. Ge’s research is focused on investigating microbe-host interactions and understanding the molecular mechanisms by which gut commensal bacteria sustain gut homeostasis against intestinal disorders. Dr. Ge is fascinated by the complexed interplay between gut microbes and their environment, in particular the intestinal epithelium and intestinal immunity.

Judith Behnsen, PhD
Assistant Professor/Principal Investigator, University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Behnsen completed her doctoral training from the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany and her post-doctoral training from the University of California, Irvine. Not only is she fascinated by the microbial world in the gut, but she also loves to dive in her spare time.

Shelly Buffington, PhD
Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Buffington’s primary expertise is in molecular and behavioral neuroscience, electrophysiology, microscopy, and metataxonomic/metagenomic sequencing data analysis. Her lab is focused on identifying mechanisms underlying the transgenerational impacts of maternal environmental insults on early-life neurodevelopment and their enduring effects on long-term health outcomes in offspring.

Nu Zhang, PhD
Associate Professor, UT Health San Antonio

Dr. Zhang studies the mechanisms underlying the differentiation and retention of tissue resident memory T cells controlled by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-B) signaling following acute infections. Dr. Zhang has the expertise and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the prosed work. He has a solid background in immunology, with specific training and expertise in key research areas.