Research Areas:
Our lab studies different mechanisms of mucosal homeostasis in the intestine, and how breakdown of these processes leads to development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The etiology of IBD is complex: These disorders develop in genetically-susceptible hosts as a result of dysregulated immune responses to microbial dysbiosis and environmental changes. We aim to dissect how different genetic and environmental factors (diet, antibiotics, etc.) alter immune responses and contribute to development of intestinal inflammation. An important aspect of our work is IBD at young ages (very early-onset IBD, defined as onset of inflammation at age <5-6 years) and how rare genetic variants contribute to these phenotypes.
To address these questions, we use state-of-the art methodologies, including flow cytometry, RNAseq (bulk and single cell), organoids, and ELISA, among others. We work closely with the clinicians at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, and especially at the Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases. We have strong collaborations with researchers in Israel, US, UK, Canada and Europe, and work closely with the VEOIBD consortium (www.veoibd.org).