Hourigan Research Group

Our talented research group supports the vision and clinical and translational studies of the lab.

Suchitra Hourigan, M.D.

Chief, Clinical Microbiome Unit (CMU)
Lasker Clinical Research Scholar

Specialty(s): Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatrics
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center

Education:

M.D., University of Oxford, UK

Dr. Suchitra (Suchi) Hourigan was born in the UK and received her medical degree from the University of Oxford. She is a board-certified physician in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology, having completed her pediatric residency and pediatric gastroenterology fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Hourigan held faculty positions at the...

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Suchitra Hourigan, M.D.

Mickayla Elle Bacorn, B.A., B.S.

IRTA Trainee

Education:

B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

B.A., Modern Language and Linguistics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Languages Spoken: Spanish

During her time at UMBC, Mickayla Bacorn was an NIH U-RISE trainee researching nutrient specificity in bacteria. She also completed a bioinformatic analysis of the active site evolution in coronaviruses. Currently, she is investigating microbiome-host responses in children and predictors of long-term health outcomes. Bacorn plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. graduate program and further the research of...

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Victor Band, Ph.D.

IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Emory University

B.S., Tufts University 

Victor received his B.S. from Tufts University and his Ph.D. from Emory University, where he studied antibiotic resistance within bacterial subpopulations to last-line drugs. His current research interests include the metabolic responses of bacteria to antibiotics and the downstream immune response.

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Keona E. Banks, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA Trainee

Education:

B.S., Biology, Howard University

Keona received her B.S. in biology with a minor in chemistry from Howard University. Through her undergraduate courses, she became interested in maternal and infant health. Currently, she is investigating gut microbial structure and function in pregnant women and their offspring associated with adverse metabolic outcomes. After training at NIH, she would like to attend medical school to pursue an...

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Qing Chen, Ph.D.

Lab Manager, Staff Scientist

Education:

Ph.D., Chinese Academy of Sciences

Languages Spoken: Chinese

Qing received her B.S. in biology from Shandong University and her Ph.D. in cell biology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she studied the interaction between mesenchymal stem cells and the immune system. She then completed postdoc training at NIEHS, investigating the role of poly(A)-tail length regulation in gene expression and cell fate in ESCs and germline stem cells. Her current...

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Diana Bori Jo, M.D.

Clinical Fellow in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

Education:

Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children’s National Hospital

Pediatric Residency, INOVA Children’s Hospital

M.D., Frank H. Netter School of Medicine

B.S., Dalhousie University

Languages Spoken: Korean

Dr. Diana Jo received her medical degree from the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine. She is a board-certified pediatrician, having completed her pediatric residency at INOVA Children’s Hospital. She is currently a clinical fellow in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Children’s National Hospital. She is interested in nutrition and the microbiome in relation to pediatric...

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Phoebe Olivia LaPoint, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA Trainee

Education:

B.S., Biology, Elon University

Phoebe received her B.S. in biology with a minor in chemistry and business administration from Elon University. She first became interested in the gut microbiome during undergraduate research, where she studied the effects of changes of the gut microbiome on anxiety behaviors in male and female zebrafish. Currently, she is investigating gut microbial interactions in chronic inflammatory diseases...

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Shira Levy, M.A., CCRP

Program Manager

Education:

M.A., George Mason University
B.S., Columbia University
B.A., Jewish Theological Seminary

Shira Levy earned her master’s degree from George Mason University in neuroimaging, in addition to holding a B.S. degree in neuroscience and behavior from Columbia University and a B.A. in midrash from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Shira has worked in clinical research for over ten years and currently manages clinical research trials in the Clinical Microbiome Unit. Her research interests...

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Ranjani Namasivayam, Ph.D.

Research Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., University of Georgia

Ranjani received her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, where she studied the evolution of apicomplexan parasites using next-generation sequencing and molecular biology techniques. She then did her postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases at NIAID, investigating the role of the microbiota in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 infections. Her work at the Clinical...

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Anal Patel, M.D.

Education:

M.D., American International Medical University

B.S., Manipal University

Languages Spoken: Gujarati, Hindi

Anal Patel received her B.Sc. in health science from Manipal University, followed by her medical degree from American International Medical University.

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Anal Patel, M.D.

Ruhika (Ru) Prasad, B.S.

Medical Research Scholar

Education:

B.S., Anthropology and Human Biology, Emory University

Languages Spoken: Telugu, Hindi

Ruhika (Ru) Prasad is an M.D./M.P.H. candidate at the Oregon Health and Science University and a 2024-2025 medical research scholar. Her research interests lie at the intersection of immunologic pathology and the maternal host response. Currently, she is investigating the development of environmental enteropathy in pregnant patients.

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Emily Robbins, D.O.

Allergy and Immunology Fellow

Education:

Pediatrics Residency, Zucker School of Medicine, Northwell Health

D.O., A.T. Still University

B.A., Colby College

Dr. Emily Robbins was born in Chicago and received her medical degree from A.T. Still University. She is a board-certified pediatrician, having completed her pediatric residency at the Zucker School of Medicine, Northwell Health in New York. Her long-term research goal includes understanding the relationship between the neonatal microbiome and its relationship with the later development of atopic...

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Hector Romero Soto, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate Trainee

Education:

B.S., Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Hector Romero Soto received his B.S. in biology from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey and just started his postbaccalaureate training at NIH. His research interests include the study of the microbiome and its interactions with the immune system to modulate the host’s health. After training at NIH, he would like to attend medical school to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree.

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Rachel Elizabeth Strength, M.D.

Clinical Fellow in Medicine and Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Education:

NIH Fellowship in Medicine and Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency, University of Tennessee

M.D., Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport

B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Strength is a board-certified internal medicine physician, board-eligible pediatrician, and clinical fellow in adult and pediatric infectious diseases at NIH and Children’s National Hospital. Her research interests include the long-term effects of infections in pregnant women and their children. She is studying how the microbiome changes through different stages of pregnancy and how infections...

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Rachel Elizabeth Strength, M.D.

Former Research Group Members

  • Cynthia Omoge Akagbosu, M.D., M.A.
  • Brynn Donnelly O’Laughlin, M.D.
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