Lilian Lam

My research background is in Microbiology and Immunology. At Stanford University, my doctoral dissertation defined the role of the gut microbiota in modulating Salmonella transmission. Concurrent with my PhD, I pursued translational research in the Masters of Science in Medicine (MSM) Program with a clinical rotation in Infectious Disease.

In the Powrie Lab, my research focuses on host-microbe interactions that regulate health and disease. The gut is the primary site of host-commensal symbiosis, but disequilibrium can drive inflammation and damaging systemic immune responses. Indeed, this gut-joint axis has been implicated in inflammatory arthritis, and imbalances in the microbial community have been described in patients. As a part of the Inflammatory Arthritis Microbiome Consortium, cross-disciplinary approaches in next-generation sequencing, multi-omic analyses, and microbiota cultivation will be integrated into experimental systems. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify novel paradigms of microbiota-regulated immune responses, with the potential for novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic interventions.