Mason scientist receives funding for research on human microbiome and gut brain axis

Patrick Gillevet, Professor/Director, MicroBiome Analysis Center, Biology,received funding for: "Derivation and Validation Cohorts Richmond Gut Brain axis." 

For this project, Gillevet’s center is conducting a longitudinal analysis of Human Gut Microbiome samples from veterans with cirrhosisto identify diagnostic markers with Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE), cognitive impairment due to cirrhosis, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Specifically, the researchers will utilize the newest single molecule sequencing technology, the Oxford Nanopore Minion, to rapidly characterize the samples to make rapid clinical decisions for differential treatments. The work is a collaboration with Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj, who is a clinical collaborator at the Veteran’s Affairs in Richmond, VA. This collaboration has developed two clinical patents that are the basis for a revolutionary microbiome diagnostic to differentiate HE and PTSD.   

Gillevet received $99,497 from the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center for this research. Funding began in Jan. 2022 and will end in late Sept. 2022.