Kristina Martinez-Guryn PhD, RD

Dr. Martinez-Guryn is an Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Sciences Program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL. She studies the impact of diet composition on host-microbe interactions that contribute to metabolic diseases. She is especially interested in understanding how microbes residing in the small bowel interact with the host epithelium and extraintestinal tissues to drive nutrient digestion and absorption. Although fewer in number in the jejunum, microbes from this region are particularly influenced by diets high in fat that impact physiologic processes of the host. The goal of her lab is to understand the mechanisms underlying crosstalk between small intestinal microbes and host absorption that may lead to development of therapies for battling over- or under-nutrition.