Jarrad Hampton-Marcell, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Jarrad Hampton-Marcell is a Chicagoland native from Robbins, IL. He received his B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and M.S. in Integrative Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from University of Illinois Chicago.

Our lab focuses on decoding host–microbe interactions that shape cardiometabolic fitness and disease progression, with an emphasis on how exercise, diet, and environmental exposures influence the gut microbiome. By integrating multi-omics datasets—spanning the microbiome, metabolome, and proteome—with machine learning and deep learning approaches, we develop predictive models of metabolic resilience and microbial adaptation, advancing our understanding of microbial diversity across human and environmental systems. Collectively, we aim to develop data-driven frameworks that link microbial function to cardiometabolic health, public health, and environmental sustainability.

Meet the Team

  • Judy Malas, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Website

    Investigating anthropogenic effects on microbe-metal emergence and persistence in recreational spaces

  • Garry Lewis

    Ph.D. Candidate

    Developing deep learning framework of host-microbe interactions and cardiometabolic fitness

  • Samson Adejumo

    Ph.D. Candidate

    Investigating the metabolic consequences of protein fermentation

  • Pritha Das

    Ph.D. Candidate

    Eliciting the role of host-microbe interactions on adiponectin signaling

  • Sangita Ghimire

    Ph.D. Student

    Examining interorgan communication between adipose-derived extracellular vesicles and the gut function

  • Kiersten Oderman

    Ph.D. Student

    Website

    Developing foundational models of host-microbe interactions on cardiometabolic disease via agentic AI

  • Jamie Kaiser

    Ph.D. Student

    Investigating the resilience and recovery of gut microbiomes associated with SDOH

  • Rosa Mendoza

    Ph. D. Student

    Website

    Eliciting the effect of vagal tone stimulation on the gut-brain axis and exercise behavior

  • Inaky Marin

    Ph.D. Student

    (Co-advised w/ Angie Salles)

    Eliciting the neuroethology of bats and physical activity

  • Kelsey Pinera

    M.S. Student

    Website

    Developing a non-invasive microbial-derived metabolic sensor

  • Brandon Reynolds

    M.S. Student

    Website

    Investigating resilience and recovery of gut microbiomes following stress

  • Tia Stewart

    M.S. Student

    Analyzing the effect of food sequencing on microbial community structure

  • Shash Sinha

    M.S. Student

    (Co-advised w/ Dieff Vital)

    Developing an open-source and portable metabolic analyzer for field-based exercise

Undergraduates

  • Maryam Hosseini

    Major: Biological Sciences

  • Isha Mehta

    Major: Biological Sciences

  • Alena Morrissette

    Major: Biomedical Engineering