Scientist Spotlight:
Dan Spakowicz, PhD

Position: Assistant Professor
Department: Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology
Website: https://u.osu.edu/spakowiczlab/
Email: daniel.spakowicz@osumc.edu
Research Keywords: microbiome, cancer, immunotherapy, bioinformatics

Brief summary of research: We study how to use the microbiome as a biomarker of cancer treatment responses and as a therapeutic target to improve treatment outcomes. We support microbiome collection in clinical trials at the OSUCCC and nationally, run our own trials that seek to modify the microbiome through dietary or other interventions, and test for causality using preclinical models. We pride ourselves in offering training in all aspects of the process, from patient interaction and sample processing to sequencing library generation and bioinformatics. We have a variety of computational projects looking for low-abundance microbes in tumors or tissues and inferring their effects. 

Anything else you would like to share?: When not sciencing or hanging out with the fam I can be found training for long runs. Hit me up if you’d like to go for a jog and chat about microbes!