Christopher Forsyth, PhD, AGAF

Christopher Forsyth, PhD, is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher in Digestive Diseases and the relationship between intestinal diseases and systemic disease. His original PhD training was in Microbiology-Immunology and specifically T cell response to pathogens. His postdoctoral study at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology examined molecular mechanisms of leukocyte trafficking and inflammation. In 2003, Forsyth began working with Ali Keshavarzian, MD in the Digestive Diseases Division and Section of Gastroenterology at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) in Chicago. In 2008, Forsyth became Director of Basic Research and the Basic Research Laboratory for the Division of Digestive Diseases at RUMC. For the last 15+ years Forsyth has been working together with Keshavarzian to investigate how intestinal disease and mucosal (intestinal) immunity and the microbiome can drive human disease. Focus areas of the laboratory include the role of the microbiome (gut, oral, nasal) and intestinal permeability (leaky gut) as well as disruption of circadian rhythms in many human diseases. These include colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, metabolic syndrome and alcohol intestinal effects on disease (especially alcoholic liver disease and colon cancer) and HIV/AIDS. These studies have included in vitro and ex vivo (organoid) studies as well as animal models for these diseases and of course studies in human subjects and patients. Forsyth will contribute his expertise especially in microbiome and intestinal immunity research to the International Spine Research and Innovation Institute.