Jackson Laboratory

Image by Alex Valm, NHGRI

The Oh Lab

Julia Oh

Principal Investigator: Julia Oh, Ph.D.

The Jackson Laboratory
Farmington, CT

Contact me at: 860-837-2014

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The Oh Lab studies the human microbiome for its potential to deliver treatments for infectious and other diseases. (Image by Alex Valm, NHGRI)

Background

Because of the metabolic, functional, and immunologic diversity endowed by our body’s microbial communities, the human microbiome has been called our ‘second genome’. Among the protective properties of the microbiome is the competitive exclusion of pathogens, in which transmission and virulence of pathogens, especially drug-resistant species like Staphylococcus aureus, are likely restricted by the entrenched flora. Next-generation antibiotics and antimicrobials necessitate new design principles that incorporate information about both a pathogen’s unique genetic susceptibilities and virulence factors as well as information about its surrounding microbial community: the microbiome contains both beneficial symbionts and a genetic reservoir for horizontal exchange of antibiotic resistance or virulence genes.

Our research

We seek to use diverse technologies like genomics, synthetic biology, and genome engineering to target and manipulate the microbiota for therapeutic purposes. We primarily use the human skin microbiome as a system to understand the complex interactions between the host, its immune system, and the microbiome. Some of our research goals are to:

Integrate synthetic approaches guided by microbial surveys to develop clinical interventions that target pathogens without disrupting our bodies’ healthy microbiota.
Use these tools to understand the genetic basis of community homeostasis and how this interaction with the host contributes to disease.
Develop computational and experimental tools to interrogate microbial 'dark matter', parts of our microbiota that are not yet characterized by current approaches.

More information: http://ohlabjax.weebly.com

Research HighlightFebruary 28, 2018
Partners in defense against skin cancer
An invisible ally in the fight against cancer? Researchers find evidence that healthy skin microbiomes contain a bacterial strain that helps prevent cancer from growing.
Research HighlightMay 24, 2017
How do babies get their bugs?
Where do a baby’s first microbes come from and what controls which bugs stick around?
- Microbiome
- Infectious Disease Research
Research HighlightJanuary 31, 2017
Julia Oh receives American Cancer Society grant for skin cancer research
The possible role of the microbiome — the bacteria, fungi and viruses living on and in us — in cancer is an intriguing area for research.
Research HighlightMay 06, 2016
Study: The human skin microbiome is largely stable over time
Despite near-constant assaults from bacteria, the microbial community on your hands is remarkably stable.

Press ReleaseOctober 05, 2017
New Innovator Award of $2.8M to Julia Oh of JAX for skin microbiome studies
Research in skin microorganisms could lead to better therapies for skin and infectious diseases.
- Microbiome
- Cancer
Search MagazineApril 25, 2017
Hidden in the skin
Julia Oh probes the depths of human skin to characterize the microbial communities that contribute to health and disease.
Press ReleaseAugust 24, 2016
Hoffman Foundation grant to fund Jackson Laboratory postdoctoral researcher
A grant of $225,000 from the Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, Inc., will provide funding to support a postdoctoral fellow at The Jackson Laboratory.
Research HighlightFebruary 11, 2016
Shedding light on microbes in the dark
“Microbial dark matter" undoubtedly contains key information about how our microbiome contributes to human health and disease. But how do you study something you can’t see?

Lab Staff

Akintunde Emiola, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Akintunde plans to develop single cell sequencing technology to define "dark matter" microorganisms, and search for bacteria that encode genes for antibiotic resistance or other immune-related function.
Elizabeth Fleming, B.S.

Research Assistant III

Elizabeth has extensive research experience in labs as diverse as RNA processing, drug discovery, cancer biology and developmental genetics, most recently from neighboring Yale. When not in the lab she loves to cook, dance, and spend time with her family.
Changhui Guan, Ph.D

Senior Research Associate

Changhui works on diverse projects such as quorum sensing, antibiotic resistance, and soil and gut microbiota analyses. He also has research experience in plant-microbe interactions and plant development.
Julia Oh, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Oh's main research interests focus on the human microbiome—the diverse bacteria, fungi, and viruses that inhabit our bodies—for its potential to deliver treatments for infectious and other diseases.
Anita Voigt, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Anita, a joint postdoctoral fellow with the Oh and Weinstock groups, has experience on microbiome projects related to colorectal cancer and methods development. She is interested in understanding the fundamental roles of the microbiome, particularly the skin and the gut microbiome, in health and disease.
Wei Zhou, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Wei has a strong background in host-microbe interaction and evolution of microbial pathogens. He is interested in developing computational tools to more efficiently characterize the microbiome using metagenomic data.

Open Positions

Inquire about postdoctoral opportunities

What is the skin microbiome?

The trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live on the skin all over our bodies is part of the microbiome. JAX Assistant Professor Julia Oh studies the human microbiome for its potential to deliver treatments for infectious and other diseases.

Selected Publications

View full list of publications