Jeffery Donowitz, MD

Associate Professor

Division

Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Research areas

• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth
• Malnutrion’s role in linear growth and neurodevelopmental delay
• The intestinal microbiota in malnutrition
• The human microbiome’s role on SARS-CoV-2 replication and pathogenesis

Biography

The intestinal microbiota is affected by local viral and bacterial pathogens. It, in return, affects the pathogenesis of those pathogens by mediating gut inflammation. Using multi-omics technologies paired with non-invasive biomarkers, Dr. Donowitz studies this triangle of enteric infection-the enteric microbiota-inflammation to identify interventions to prevent childhood malnutrition and neurodevelopmental deficits.

See full bibliography

Active studies

• 1K23HD097282 - 01A1 NIH / NICHD Donowitz (PI) 07/01/2019 – 06/30/2023
  • Longitudinal Study of the Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth Microbiome and its Effect on Growth and Neurodevelopment in Malnourished Children Successful completion of the proposed aims will determine if small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in young children from low-income countries is a risk factor for future growth and neurodevelopmental delays. Additionally it will provide increased understanding of the duodenal dysbiosis associated with a positive glucose hydrogen breath test and determine if these changes can be reliably detected in stool. This data will lay the groundwork for future interventional trials targeting SIBO in the pediatric low-income setting, aid in the development of non-antibiotic treatment options, and possibly lead to the creation of point-of-care diagnostics that can be used when breath testing is not logistically or economically feasible.
• 5150892FD National Science Foundation Buck (PI) 07/01/2020 06/30/2021
  • RAPID: Modeling host-microbiome-virome interactions and their impact on COVID-19 severity
  • The goal of this project is predict COVID-19 severity using a machine learning model that incorporates clinical, microbiome and multi-omics data.
  • Role: Co-Investigator
• 5150765SF Virginia Department of Health Lavoie (PI) 04/01/2019 03/31/2021
  • VCU HIV Services Peer Review Program
  • The goal of this project is to review performance of centers receiving Virginia Department of Health Ryan White funds for HIV care and foster improvement at these centers.
  • Role: Site reviewer

Collaborators

VCU

• Buck Lab
• McVoy Lab
• Arodz Lab
• Clinical Microbiology (Doern/Bryson)

External

• Petri Lab (UVA)
• Houpt Lab (UVA)
• DeBoer Lab (UVA)
• Haque Lab (icddr,b)
• Ahmed Lab (icddr,b)
• Haydom Lutheran Hospital
• Haydom Tazania

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