Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD

email: ashutosh-mangalam@uiowa.edu

phone: 319-335-8205

Title(s)

Associate Professor of Pathology

Director, Microbiome Core

University of Iowa

Office

1080-A Medical Laboratories 25 S. Grand Avenue Iowa City, IA 52242

Information

Education

BS, Biology, Lucknow University, Lucknow, India
MS, Biotechnology, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India
PhD, Immunology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
Post Doctorate, Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Research interest: The major goal of our research program is to develop better treatment options to cure multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Among genetic factors, the strongest association has been linked with MHC class II molecules, whereas gut microbiota is suggested to be an important environmental factor. How HLA class II molecules as well as gut microbiota alone or in combination predispose to or protect from MS is not well understood. A better understanding of the etiopathogenesis of MS will help in developing novel therapeutic options to cure this disease.

Therefore, to achieve this goal, our research program focuses on three major interconnected themes: i) to understand the role of the gut microbiome and metabolome in the etiopathogenesis of MS; ii) to identify potential human gut derived bacteria as a drug (BRUG) for MS therapy; and iii) utilize novel transgenic mice expressing MS susceptible and resistant human HLA class II molecules (HLA transgenic mice) to better understand the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.

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