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Cathryn Nagler is a Professor at the University of Chicago, specializing in the study of mechanisms that govern tolerance to dietary antigens with an emphasis on the role of resident intestinal bacteria in regulating mucosal immunity. With over fifteen years of experience, her research focuses on how commensal bacteria influence susceptibility to allergic responses to food. Her work proposes that the significant rise in food allergies can be partly explained by changes in the composition and function of the commensal microbiome. The Nagler Lab has demonstrated the role of specific populations of mucosa-associated commensal bacteria in providing protection against allergic sensitization in mice. Translational studies from the lab revealed alterations in fecal microbiota composition in infants with cow’s milk allergy. By using germ-free mice colonized with fecal samples from healthy and allergic infants, the lab discovered that mice with microbiota from allergic infants showed an anaphylactic response to the cow's milk allergen, while those colonized with microbiota from healthy infants were protected. The research also defined a microbiota signature that distinguishes cow’s milk allergic populations from healthy donors. Furthermore, the lab is actively involved in entrepreneurship, having founded the startup ClostraBio to develop novel microbiome-modulating therapeutics aimed at preventing and treating food allergies.
Department of Philosophy