Damon Runyon Researchers

Humans and the microbes in and on our bodies (“microbiota”) continuously interact in ways that influence health and disease—ways that we do not yet fully understand. Dr. Crawford, a chemical biologist, focuses on defining the bacterial contributions to colorectal cancer. DNA-damaging toxins (genotoxins) produced by bacteria in the human gut serve as cancer risk factors. He has developed an innovative genomics platform called M-PAIR, which he will use to identify novel cancer risk factors produced by the bacteria in the human gut. His findings will provide a foundation for development of anticancer compounds for cancer prevention and treatment.