Principal Investigator

Beth A. McCormick, PhD Professor & Chair, Department of Microbiology Founding Director, UMass Chan Program in Microbiome Dynamics and Center for Microbiome Research

Beth McCormick, Ph.D., is The Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chair II , Chair of the Department of Microbiology, and Founding Director of the Program in Microbiome Dynamics and Center for Microbiome Research.

Dr. McCormick is an internationally renowned gastrointestinal (GI) physiologist, with a particular focus in defining the interactions between gut microbes in GI physiology and disease with the factors that maintain or break the healthy function of this ecological system. Her research interests include the role of microbes and microbial metabolites in dictating GI host physiology, particularly via intestinal multidrug efflux transporters; the interaction between the gut microbiome and epithelial cell nuclear factors; and continued efforts in drug discovery and development for GI disorders. Her breakthrough discoveries have paved the way for better understanding how microbes interact with the intestinal microenvironment and the underlying innate immune system. Dr. McCormick also co-founded Adiso Therapeutics, a biotechnology research company based in Concord, Massachusetts, which is advancing a first-in-class molecule to Phase IIa clinical trials for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Her work continues to identify novel ways in which microbes interact with GI mucosal surfaces, with over 150 published original research papers and opinion pieces in this area.

Dr. McCormick has a wealth of experience and a proven track record of mentoring trainees (PhD, MD, and MD, PhD, as well as post-doctoral scholars) to transition to independent basic, clinical, and translational research positions. She has also mentored many junior faculty through their career development towards becoming independent NIH funded researchers. Dr. McCormick is a Mentoring Program Leader, a mentor in the UMass Chan Millennium Ph.D Program, and a founding Program Leader in the Pathways to Independence initiative. In these efforts, Dr. McCormick works toward creating a diverse collaborative mentoring network across academic missions and training programs to meet the needs of both mentees and mentors.

Dr. McCormick serves as an advisor to governments and multinational agencies and is the recipient of many awards and commendations. She is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, an American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Mentor of the Year awardee (2022), and a Distinguished Scientist of the American Physiological Society (2023). Dr. McCormick is also Editor-in-Chief of the journal Gut Microbes, Chair of the Basic and Clinical Intestinal Disorders Council of the American Gastroenterological Association, and in 2024, Dr. McCormick became an elected member of the Board of Directors for American Physiological Society.    

Education:

B.A. Microbiology (History minor), University of New Hampshire
PhD Microbiology, University of Rhode Island
Postdoctoral training, Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology and Infectious Disease
Children’s Hospital & Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Selected Awards & Honors: