ABOUT THE LECTURE:
Animal evolution occured in a microbial world, and microbes are now recognised as key regulators of health and disease across animal species. Yet the mechanisms by which microbes influence the biology of their animal hosts remain incompletely defined. To address this gap, we established the zebrafish as a tractable vertebrate model for studying host-microbiome relationships and gastrointestinal physiology. By integrating zebrafish and mouse studies within a comparative evolutionary framework, we have identified conserved principles and molecular mechanisms that extend across vertebrates. In this seminar, I will present recent work using zebrafish to define pathways by which gut microbes regulate enteroendocrine cell function and gut‒brain signalling, as well as mechanisms by which distinct regions of the small intestine communicate through nutrient sensing. I will close by sharing my vision for the development of research at Duke-NUS and its partnerships.
HOST:
Prof Enrico Petretto
Director
Centre for Biomedical Data Science
Associate Dean for Research Informatics
Duke-NUS Medical School
VENUE:
Duke-NUS Medical School
Amphitheatre, Level 2
CONTACT PERSON:
Ms Sherlyn Leo (sherlynleo@duke-nus.edu.sg)
Duke-NUS Research Affairs Department
Date and Time
26 May 2026 @ 12:00 - 26 May 2026 @ 13:00
Speaker
Prof John F. Rawls
James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Duke University School of Medicine
Dr. Rawls received his Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from Washington University in St. Louis under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Johnson. He then trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Jeffrey Gordon at Washington University, and has directed his independent research program since 2006. In addition to his research, Dr. Rawls has served since 2014 as Director for the Duke Microbiome Center, which cultivates and supports the microbiome sciences across Duke University.