Sarkis Mazmanian Lab skip to main content Sarkis Mazmanian Lab Research Publications Lab Members Highlights In The News Events Contact Alumni SearchSearch Menu Close Research Publications Lab Members Highlights In The News Events Contact Alumni SearchSearch Mazmanian Lab Immunologic and neurologic imbalances underlie many diseases. The human body represents a scaffold upon which multitudes of commensal species build residence, creating a diverse ecosystem with members of five of the six kingdoms of life. Mechanisms that mediate the interdependent and complex interactions between the microbiome and animals, as well as their influences on human health, represent an exciting frontier of science and medicine. Our laboratory aims to discover how gut bacteria influence the development and function of the immune and nervous systems, with the goal of understanding mechanisms by which the microbiome contributes to the critical balance between health and disease. Research Our lab studies how the gut microbiome influences the brain, behavior, and disease through its interactions with the nervous and immune systems. Animal Behavior Using mouse models, we explore how microbial metabolites and gut-brain signaling pathways shape stress responses, social behavior, and neurodevelopment. Enteric Nervous System (ENS) We apply neurobiological tools to study how gut neurons impact microbiome composition, host physiology, and gene expression, revealing new roles for the ENS in gut-brain communication. Parkinson's Disease and the Microbiome Our work links gut microbes to Parkinson's-like symptoms in mice, showing that microbial metabolites and patient-derived microbiota can drive neuroinflammation and motor dysfunction. Meet the Team Publications In the News All News January 19, 2026 Microbiome and the Good Life October 8, 2024 Uncovering the Mysteries of the Gut–Brain Connection August 23, 2024 Caltech Grad Student Named as Quad Fellow Video Lightbox Microbes As Medicine | Dr. Sarkis Mazmanian X Rich Roll Podcast Episode #831 WHY THE MICROBIOME MIGHT HOLD THE KEY TO TREATING PARKINSON'S & MORE Why Science Says to Listen to your Gut Watch Sarkis' TEDMED 2018 Talk to learn how the gut-brain pathway may lead us to discover causes behind, and even treatments for, life-altering conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson's Disease. By understanding communication between the gut and the brain, we may be able to change the course of neurological disease for generations. NOVA Wonders What's Living in You? Whether they make you fat, fart, or freak out, microbes play a central role in your life. Right beneath your nose—on your face, in your gut, and everywhere in between—trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi are so abundant in your body, they outnumber your human cells. But these aren't just nasty hitch-hikers. Many are crucial to your survival. NOVA Wonders What's Living in You? Season 45 Episode 102 | 53m 40s California Institute of Technology 1200 East California Boulevard Pasadena, California 91125 Digital Accessibility | Privacy Notice | Site Content Copyright © 2026 | Log In