Renuka Nayak, MD, PhD
The Nayak Lab studies the human gut microbiome and its impact on the treatment of autoimmune and rheumatic disease. We use cutting-edge technologies, such next-generation sequencing, anaerobic microbiology, metabolomics, gnotobiotics, single-cell phenotyping, and CRISPR to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which microbes impact human health and disease. We are also a translational research lab that obtains and studies patient samples; our goal is make discoveries with strong clinical implications.
In the Nayak Lab, you can expect to become an expert on multiple of the following skills:
- Analysis and visualization of large datasets using programming languages such as R
- Generation and analysis of sequencing libraries, such as metagenomics, transcriptomics and transposon-sequencing libraries
- In vitro anaerobic microbiology
- Analytical chemistry, including HPLC, LC-MS, MALDI-TOF and qTOF
- Gnotobiology and mouse models of autoimmunity
- Single cell immune profiling
- Analysis of patient specimens from observational cohorts and interventional studies
We seek to understand the mechanisms by which gut microbes impact the treatment of autoimmune disease using cutting-edge technologies. We strive to advance precision medicine for patients with rheumatic disease.
2017 - Scientific Leadership and Laboratory Management Course, UCSF
1/2022 - DEI Champion Training
10/2022 - UCSF-TRAIN-UP program (now called Inclusive Research Mentor/Manager Training)
2/2022 - Raising a Resilient Researcher (NIH-OITE)