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...

Learn more about Suchitra Hourigan, M.D.

Suchitra Hourigan, M.D.

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.

Learn more about Victor Band, Ph.D.

Headshot of Victor Band, Ph.D.

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...

Learn more about Keona E. Banks, B.S.

Headshot of Keona E. Banks, B.S.

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...

Learn more about Qing Chen, Ph.D.

Photo of Qing Chen, Ph.D.

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...

Learn more about Diana Bori Jo, M.D.

Headshot of Diana Bori Jo, M.D

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...

Learn more about Shira Levy, M.A., CCRP

Photo of Shira Levy, MA, CCRP

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...

Learn more about Ranjani Namasivayam, Ph.D.

Photo of Ranjani Namasivayam, Ph.D.

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.

Learn more about Anal Patel, M.D.

Anal Patel, M.D.

Katherine Ilah Rees, B.S.

Postbaccalaureate IRTA Trainee

Education:

B.S., Biology, California Polytechnic State University

At California Polytechnic State University, Katherine studied human anatomy/physiology, as well as medical microbiology. She aims to research the intersection of the two fields, with an emphasis on women’s health and the vaginal microbiome. In the future, she will pursue an M.D./Ph.D.

Learn more about Katherine Ilah Rees, B.S.

Headshot of Katherine Ilah Rees, B.S.

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...

Learn more about Rachel Elizabeth Strength, M.D.

Rachel Elizabeth Strength, M.D.

Garmani Kz Thein, B.S.

IRTA Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Education:

B.S. Biology, University of Maryland

Garmani earned his B.S. in biology at the University of Maryland where he worked on developing single-cell FRET-based ribosensors. He is interested in the developing gut microbiome and its connection to childhood health and inflammatory diseases. After his training at the NIH, he hopes to pursue a career in academic medicine.

Learn more about Garmani Kz Thein, B.S.

Headshot of Garmani Kz Thein, B.S.

Former Research Group Members

  • Cynthia Omoge Akagbosu, M.D., M.A.
  • Mickayla Elle Bacorn, B.A., B.S.
  • Phoebe Olivia LaPoint, B.S.
  • Ruhika (Ru) Prasad, B.S.
  • Hector Romero Soto, B.S.
Content last reviewed on