CIMCR Research Faculty

• Physician Scientists
• Adjunct Faculty
• Scientists

Physician Scientists

Ali Keshavarzian, MD, FRCP, FACP, MACG, AGAF

• Director, Center for Integrated Microbiome and Chronobiology Research
  Director, Rush Crohn’s & Colitis Center, Institute for Advanced Study of the Gut, Chronobiology and Inflammation
• Investigates GI intestinal barrier and gut microbiota and how these are impacted by the Western lifestyle including: alcohol, stress, Circadian rhythms and sleep.
• Investigates how “leaky gut” and dysbiosis promote inflammation-mediated diseases such as IBD, IBS, allergic disorders, colon cancer, HIV, hepatic (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, alcoholic steatohepatitis) disease, as well as disorders associated with neuroinflammation (Parkinson’s disease).
• Preventive treatments of GI disorders with prebiotics and probiotics
• Publications

Rana Abraham, MD, MS

• Circadian rhythms, gastroesophageal reflux disease, constipation and esophageal motility disorders
• Publications

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Scientists

Christopher Forsyth, PhD

• Department of Internal Medicine, Director, Training and Mentoring for the Rush Center for Integrated Microbiome and Chronobiology Research
• Alcohol, cancer, circadian rhythms, gut-brain axis and IBD
• Publications

Robin Voigt-Zuwala, PhD

• Director, Circadian Rhythm Research Laboratory, Rush Center for Circadian Rhythms and Alcohol-Induced Tissue Damage, Director of Operations for the Rush Center for Integrated Microbiome & Chronobiology Research
• Alcohol, circadian rhythms and gut-brain axis
• Publications

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Adjunct Faculty

Faraz Bishehsari, MD, PhD, AGAF 

• Professor of Medicine, Tenured 
• Vice Chair of Department of Internal Medicine for Clinical & Translational Research
• Director of the Gastroenterology Research Center
• Medical Director of High-Risk Clinic for Gastrointestinal Cancers
• Atilla Ertan Chair of Gastroenterology Research
• MD Anderson Cancer Center-UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Publications

Garth Swanson, MD, MS

• Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Medicine, Medicine, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2023-06-12
• Division Director, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Organization: Medical University of South Carolina
• Publications

Majid Afshar, MD, MSCR

• Associate Professor, Director, Learning Health System, UW Health Physician Informatics
• Department of Medicine
• Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care
• Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

Kathrin Banach, PhD

• Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology
• Division of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center

Barbara Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN

• Associate Dean for Research
• Professor, Adult Health & Gerontological Nursing, Rush University College of Nursing

Thaisa M Cantu-Jungles, PhD

• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Department of Food Science, Purdue University

Neeraj Chhabra, MD, MSCR

• Assistant Professor
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Rush Medical College, Cook County Health

Stefan Green, PhD

• Associate Professor, Rush Medical College
• Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,
• Director, Core Laboratory Services (Office of Research Affairs),
• Director, Genomics and Microbiome Core Facility (Office of Research Affairs), Rush University Medical Center

Bruce Hamaker, PhD

• Distinguished Professor of Food Science, Roy L. Whistler Chair
• Director, Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research

Niranjan S. Karnik, MD, PhD

• Professor of Psychiatry & Director, Institute for Juvenile Research
• Co-Director of Institute for Research on Addictions
• Interim Director of AI. Health4All Center for Health Equity using ML/AI, University of Illinois Chicago

Frank C. Ko, PhD

• Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Alan L. Landay, PhD

• Professor
• Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
• Vice Chair of Research
• Division Chief of Translational and Precision Medicine
• Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center

Babak Mokhlesi, MD, MSc

• The J. Bailey Carter, MD Professor of Medicine, Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Sleep Medicine
• Co-Director, Rush Lung Center, Rush University Medical Center

D. Meghan Moran, PhD

• Assistant Professor Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center
• Manager for MicroCT and Hard Tissue Histology Cores

Ankur Naqib, PhD

• Assistant Professor
• Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center

Jenna Nikolaides, MD, MA

• Medical Director, Substance Use Intervention Team
• Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine
• Departments of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center

Anna H.K. Plaas, PhD

• Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Orthopedics
• Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center

Heather Rasmussen PhD, RDN, LMNT

• Interim Department Chair 
• Associate Professor
• Director, Professional Studies in Dietetics Graduate Program, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Nutrition & Health Sciences

Juan C. Rojas, MD, MS

• Assistant Professor
• Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Physician Informaticist, Rush University Medical Center

Dino Samartzis, DSc

• Director, International Spine Research and Innovation Initiative (ISRII)
  Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery,
  Rush Medical College

D. Rick Sumner, PhD

• The Mary Lou Bell McGrew Presidential Professor for Medical Research
• Chairperson, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center

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