Revolutionizing Health with Microbiome Innovation at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

In a new PLOS Biology study, CAMRI researchers helped develop an ecological model showing that access to specific nutrients—rather than bacteria alone—drives whether the vaginal microbiome remains healthy or shifts into dysbiosis. By revealing why harmful microbial states can become stable and difficult to reverse, this work opens new paths toward durable, non-antibiotic strategies to…

In a new study led by CAMRI investigator Dr. Johanna Holm, researchers reveal that vaginal bacteria with similar taxonomic profiles can have profoundly different functional and immunological effects. By defining 25 distinct functional community types, this work lays the foundation for precision diagnostics and targeted interventions in women’s reproductive health.

In collaboration with Dr. Wonder Drake at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the project integrates metabolomics, immunology, and longitudinal patient cohorts to identify blood-based biomarkers that predict disease progression and uncover metabolic mechanisms driving lung fibrosis. This work aims to deliver clinically actionable tools and therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients with…

A UMSOM delegation visited the University of Costa Rica to launch new collaborations on aging, longevity, microbiomes, and cancer, made possible by the Alicia and Yaya Foundation. The visit combined field experiences in Costa Rica’s Blue Zones with scientific exchange, training workshops, and plans for lasting research and education partnerships.

The project aims to dramatically shorten diagnostic timelines while improving pathogen detection and antimicrobial resistance.

Two linked studies from the NIH-funded TransBiota project reveal that genital microbiomes in transmasculine and transfeminine individuals di>er fundamentally from those of cisgender women. Together, the findings challenge long-standing assumptions about “optimal” microbiome states and underscore the need for evidence-based, gender-affirming clinical care.