"At this juncture, it is important for the public to be well-informed about the microbiome, and for microbiome research to advance, and I am delighted to help uBiome further these missions as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board.” Dr. Martin Blaser, MD
SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) July 17, 2018
uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, announces the addition of Martin Blaser, MD, a professor in the departments of medicine and microbiology at NYU, and renowned expert on the microbiome, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Joining the board of leading scientists and doctors from around the world, Dr. Blaser will bring to uBiome more than thirty years experience studying bacteria of the human microbiome; specifically, the biology of colonization and the nature of the interactions that lead to (or protect from) disease. The appointment will help uBiome continue its advancement in human microbiome research.
“Dr. Blaser has done invaluable work in furthering the understanding of the vital role the microbiome plays in human health, particularly how disturbances to the microbiome in childhood can lead to the development of disease,” Dr. Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome, said. “His expertise will greatly aid uBiome’s effort to educate the public about the importance of understanding and maintaining a healthy microbiome.”
Dr. Martin Blaser is the Muriel G. and George W. Singer Professor of Translational Medicine at New York University’s Department of Medicine. Additionally, he is a Professor in NYU’s Department of Microbiology and the Director of their Human Microbiome Program. Dr. Blaser’s research has examined bacteria of the intestinal microbiome, including Campylobacter and Helicobacter species, which live in the mucus layer overlying the mucosal epithelium of mammals, including humans. For the human microbiome, his research focuses on how early life perturbations affect host developmental phenotypes. His ongoing work focuses on the metabolic syndrome - specifically on obesity, type 2 diabetes, and kidney stones - as well as inflammatory disorders such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and allergies. Dr. Blaser’s work has been widely written about in major publications, including The New York Times, and he has been interviewed on The Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR, the BBC, and CNN. His 2014 book, Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, explores how the human microbiome is under assault from an over-reliance on medical advances, including antibiotics and cesarean sections, threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes and leading to severe health consequences. Dr. Blaser received his M.D. from New York University. He has served as the President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and as the Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Cancer Institute and of the Advisory Board for Clinical Research at the NIH. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
About joining uBiome's Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Blaser said, “My work has been focused on understanding how the human microbiome affects health and the development of disease. Medical advances, including antibiotics and their overuse, substantially disrupt the human microbiome. This has resulted in what I term the modern plagues including obesity, asthma, allergies, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. At this juncture, it is important for the public to be well-informed about the microbiome, and for microbiome research to advance, and I am delighted to help uBiome further these missions as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board.”
uBiome’s technology platform is based on the largest microbial dataset in the world (over 250,000 samples), covered by six issued patents (and over 100 pending applications), and used in over 20 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. This platform has been used by over 200 research institutions around the world, including the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard University, Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco, University College London, and University of Sydney.
In addition to Dr. Blaser, the uBiome Scientific Advisory Board also includes Dr. Joseph DeRisi (MacArthur Genius and UCSF professor), Dr. Atul Butte (head of the Institute for Computational Health Sciences at UCSF), Dr. Katherine Pollard (Director, Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology), Dr. Joel Palefsky (UCSF School of Medicine professor), Dr. George Church (leading geneticist at Harvard University), Dr. Liz Lipski (Academic Director of Nutrition and Integrative Health Programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health), Dr. Elaine Hsiao, PhD (UCLA), and other leading scientists. The company’s Medical Advisory Board includes Dr. Alan Green (Society for Participatory Medicine), Dr. Leo Treyzon (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center), Dr. Cynthia Geyer (Medical Director of Canyon Ranch, Lenox), Dr. Robynne Chutkan (Georgetown University Hospital), Michael Docktor (Boston Children’s Hospital), Dr. Tiffany Lester (Medical Director of Parsley Health in San Francisco), Dr. Joel Kahn (Founder of of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity), as well as other accomplished clinicians.
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About uBiome:
Founded in 2012, uBiome is the world’s leading microbial genomics company with a mission to advance the science of the microbiome and make useful products to improve human life. uBiome is funded by Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, and 8VC, as well as other leading investors. Since its launch, the company has received widespread recognition including CNN 10: Startups to Watch, the IVY Technology Award, CNN Future 30, and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare in 2016 and in Data Science in 2018. Most recently, uBiome was selected as a 2018 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.
Media Contact:
Lelle Henrichsen
lelle.henrichsen(at)ubiome.com