Caleb D. Phillips' Laboratory

Hendra Sihaloho

hendra.sihaloho@ttu.edu

I investigate the drivers of gut microbiome composition in bats in degraded and unmodified habitats. My study focuses on three bat species occurring in Malaysia that have different social dynamics (solitary, small group and colonial) and rely on insect communities as their prey. I am using community ecology approaches and structural equation modeling to define how endogenous and exogenous processes governing microbiome assembly and disassembly. 

 

 

Rebecca Gabrilska

rebecca.gabrilska@ttuhsc.edu

I am an MD/PhD student investigating host-microbe interactions in chronic wounds to optimize patient care. Co-advised by Dr. Kendra Rumbaugh at TTUHSC and in collaboration with the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center, my dissertation work explores how human genetic variation shapes wound microbiome composition and how the interactions between microbes of wound communities influences host healing.

 

 

Khalid Omeir 

K.Omeir@ttu.edu 

I study host-microbiome interactions in chronic wounds through investigating how hosts’ genomes influence chronic wound microbial composition. Specifically, I am interested in the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which host genetic variation affects tissue-specific gene expression and leads to differential bacterial infection. By understanding these mechanisms my work aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and facilitate the development of more effective personalized treatments. My research is supported by the Wolcott Wound Care Research Collection housed within the Natural Science Research Laboratory at the Texas Tech Museum and the National Institutes of Health.