Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, considered the “Father of the field” of gut microbiome research, was named this year’s recipient of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. The honor recognizes Gordon’s groundbreaking studies of the role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease.
“The microbiome offers exciting new opportunities for identifying disease mechanisms, identifying therapeutic targets and discovering new therapeutic agents,” says Gordon, the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor and director of the Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Work in this area crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries and is advancing our understanding of how human physiology is shaped by our microbial communities and altering our understanding of microbial contributions to noncommunicable diseases.”
