Christopher Gaulke has over a decade of experience integrating diverse data to uncover molecular mechanisms underpinning host-microbe interactions. He earned his PhD with Dr. Satya Dandekar at the University of California, Davis, characterizing the mechanisms through which HIV infection disrupts gut immune function and immune responses to commensal microbes. Gaulke went on to join Dr. Thomas Sharpton’s laboratory at Oregon State University as a postdoctoral research associate where he used whole genome shotgun metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to identify environmental exposures that modify host-microbiota interactions.
At Illinois, Gaulke’s lab uses diverse molecular, bioinformatic, and statistical tools to define the biochemical mechanisms through which gut microbiota modulate the effects of nutritional, infectious, and chemical exposures on vertebrate physiology. The Gaulke lab leverages this knowledge to develop methods to mitigate the impact of these exposures on human and animal health by manipulating the microbiome and characterizing microbial natural products.