Dr. Gloria Maria Dominguez Bello was promoted to Distinguished Professor, effective July 1, 2024.
Prof. Dominguez Bello is internationally recognized as a leading researcher in microbial ecology, in particular the study of the role of animal-microbe interactions in health. She joined the faculty of Rutgers University in 2017 as the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health with a joint appointment in the Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology (SEBS) and Anthropology (SAS).
Her research has focused on understanding symbioses between microorganisms and their hosts, their coevolution, and the contribution of microbial genes to the function of microbe-dominated organs, and the effect of perturbations. In particular, she is interested in the human microbiome, its evolution, development and the impact of urban lifestyles.
The microbiome is now recognized to influence essential host processes, including nutrition and health. Prof. Dominguez Bello is at the forefront of this field, in elucidating the impact of the microbiome on its host. In her work, she has demonstrated the role played by industrialization and birth mode on development of the infant microbiome, and the role of differing microbiome developmental trajectories on subsequent human health.
Microbial diversity, crucial for human health, is now threatened by urbanization and Prof. Dominguez Bello is leading efforts to preserve the remaining microbial diversity before it goes extinct. She has made transformative advances in our knowledge of the interactions between humans and their microbiomes and is an internationally recognized leader in this field.