Dr. Savidge’s lab is interested in studying neuroimmune-microbial interactions in the gastrointestinal tract using a range of techniques that include computational and structural biology, global metabolomics and proteomics, realtime molecular interactions, cell culture and humanized disease models.  These studies have found that gut astrocytes are important regulators of mucosal barrier function and inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease, necrotizing enterocolitis and Clostridium difficile infection. A novel innate host defense mechanism for subverting microbial pathogenesis has also been identified and is being translated into a prototypic form of therapy termed allosteric therapeutics.