Bhanu Priya Ganesh
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Department of Neurology
My research focus mainly on the role of gut and its microbiome on stroke, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, Alzheimer’s Diseases and other aging related diseases. The long-term goal of my research is to elucidate the role of intestinal microbiome in interfering with intestinal epithelial homeostasis causing onset and activation of chronic inflammation with respect to neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging. Throughout my career, my research has been focused on intestinal inflammation with respect to the role of gut microbiota in pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. Additionally, I am interested in how microbiota can be beneficially be manipulated for better health outcomes.
Currently, my research is focused on the “BRAIN-GUT Axis”. We are investigating how the interaction of the microbiome and their secretory products on modulating physiology of brain in diseases of age. I have been involved in the development of novel germ-free rodent models that help us understand the interaction between single or multiple known bacterial species and their secretory products on shaping intestinal epithelium and beyond. I have used germ-free mouse models extensively to investigate the effects of both pathogenic or beneficial (probiotic) bacteria in understanding the role of different bacteria in gut homeostasis. In addition, I am looking at the interactions between the microbiome and its secretory products on modulating goblet cell physiology of mucus synthesis. I hope to identify the changes in mucosal modifications, including the immune response with respect to dysbiotic gut microbiome as possible biomarkers in predicting aging related diseases at an earlier stage.
Key words: gut-brain axis, bacterial therapy, amyloid beta, Alzheimer’s, stroke, infectious diseases, pathogens, immunology, microglia, metabolomics, amino acid metabolites, mucus barrier and host-microbe interaction.
Potential projects:
- Gut immune education by beneficial bacterial therapy in modulating inflammatory status of microglia in the brain after injury using animal models
- Microbial biomarkers: a new way to identify early onset of amyloid associated AD
- Peripheral mast cell signaling and its secretory product histamine in the gut and brain post-stroke
- Early signs of gut impairment follows brain amyloid beta pathology later in AD animal models
McGovern Medical School Faculty
Education & Training
PhD, The German Institute of Human Nutrition-Potsdam Rehbruecke, Germany, 2014