After several years of work, I'm happy to share that the main project from my PhD is now published in Nature Microbiology. We show that the skin commensal Malassezia produces tryptophan-derived indoles that activate AhR promoting skin barrier function and tissue homeostasis. doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Commensal yeast Malassezia produces tryptophan metabolites to promote tissue homeostasis via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in mice - Nature Microbiology

A ubiquitous skin fungus, frequently associated with skin pathology, is important for maintenance of the skin barrier function through tryptophan derivatives that act as aryl hydrocarbon receptor agon...

doi.org

Also, we're hiring Postdocs and Techs - please reach out if interested!

A great collaboration that came out a few weeks ago with the labs of CJ Guo and David Artis - led by Shanshan Qiao from the Guo lab.

Our new paper about how the immune system is rewired when food availability is reduced! An awesome team effort by Luisa Menezes Silva, Mingeum Jeong and @seongji1.bsky.social.

Our work co-led by @scripps.edu students Dominic & Jonathan shows that microbial tropism determines how metabolites are presented to #MAIT cells!

bioRxiv Immunology@biorxiv-immuno.bsky.social · last yr.

MAIT cell responses to intracellular and extracellular pathogens are mediated by distinct antigen presenting cells https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.03.652000v1

Excited to share our preprint demonstrating how fumarate metabolism by host and pathogen promotes pneumonia! Itaconate synergizes with fumarate, driving staphylococcal adaptation for survival. Check it out!👇 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Regulation of airway fumarate by host and pathogen promotes S. aureus pneumonia

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of healthcare-associated pneumonia, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. As a ubiquitous colonizer of the upper respiratory tract, ...

biorxiv.org

A nice write-up on our recent collaborative study, led by the lab of Chun-Jun Guo at Weill Cornell news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2025/04...

We are hiring a research technician! This position will be critical to advance our understanding of how diet and the microbiota can enhance our immune system against infections and cancer. If you are interested, please reach out for more information!