Microbiome in Neurological Disease

Dr. Sampson’s primary research interests lie in understanding how the complex interactions between indigenous microbes and the host can shape neurological responses, during neurodegenerative disease and neurological injury. His academic career to date has uniquely positioned him with training across broad topics: microbiology, immunology, genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Following postdoctoral studies at Caltech, with Dr. Sarkis Mazmanian, he utilized his background in bacterial genetics and host-pathogen interactions to explore how indigenous microbes influence Parkinson’s disease (PD). These activities have laid the foundation for his independent career exploring host-microbe interactions at the interface of PD, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurological illnesses--diseases historically studied within the context of the central nervous system.