Fatima Saravia, Phd Email & Phone Number

Dept. of Research & Innovation - Global Oral CareIn this role, I work closely with Colgate scientists and clinicians on study design and analysis to develop and optimize new analytic approaches using Next-Generation Sequencing technologies. I interpret and translate microbiome data into insights to better understand host-microbe interactions, identify and monitor changes in health/disease biomarkers, and aid in the development of new therapeutic products. Ultimately, our goal is to improve the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of patients with oral and skin conditions.

Dept. of Microbiology and ImmunologyAdvisor: John R. Kirby, PhD Established a novel research project evaluating the role of the gut microbiome in mediating hypertension.• Awarded the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA fellowship (F31) and American Heart Association (AHA)- Predoctoral Fellowship• Discovered bacterial biomarkers to better understand the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influence hypertension and to inform the development of microbiome-based treatment strategies for hypertension.• Processed and analyzed large microbiome datasets including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing using state of the art computational pipelines and machine learning.• Designed, conducted, and analyzed microbiome-based studies. Including, rat and mouse work, obtaining and analyzing physiological measurements, collecting, and processing samples for sequencing.• Managed multiple microbiome-based academic collaborations.• Efficiently communicate science via writing and oral presentations• Mentored 8 graduate students in microbiome-based research including mouse and rat physiology, computational analysis, and literature comprehension.

As an undergraduate, I was the recipient of the Dr. Joy Glaser summer research fellowship that funded my work in the laboratory of Dr. Patricia Mowery. The Mowery lab uses Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a model organism to explore the structure of chemoreceptor signaling complexes to understand how they operate. E. coli chemotaxis is directed by chemoreceptors (Methyl-accepting Chemotaxis Proteins, MCPs), which form homodimers that form trimer-of-dimers. Formation of the trimer-of-dimers utilizes highly conserved contact residues found in the signaling domain. This domain also contains binding surfaces for the coupling protein CheW and the histidine kinase CheA, therefore it is postulated that the conserved contact residues may be involved the formation of ternary signaling complexes with the CheA and CheW. The goal of my project was to examine whether conserved residues were responsible for trimer formation or ternary-complex assembly. To determine the function of conserved MCP residues, I performed mutagenesis, cloning, sequencing and motility assays. Although the cloning project proved to be difficult, I was able to generate E. coli mutants of interest during my summer experience. I was introduced to basic microbiology techniques and gained a foundation of knowledge in microbiology research. My time in the Mowery lab sparked my current interest in microbiology and encouraged me to continue research in a graduate school setting.

In the summer of 2014, I was the recipient of the Rickey Research Scholarship that funded my work in the laboratory of Dr. Anna Katherine Mansfield at Cornell University. The Mansfield lab works with regional and small-scale wineries to enhance wine quality and production efficiency. One of the projects in the Mansfield lab focuses on evaluating hybrid grapes used for wine as part of Cornell’s grape breeding program. The goal of my project was to examine the color stability of hybrid grapes used to make regional red wines. I learned and developed analytical techniques (HPLC and spectrophotometry) to measure anthocyanin content and color (pigmentation) intensity. I correlated these phenotypic data to genomic data collected from a genome-wide association study. Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between anthocyanin content of hybrid grape wines and color stability. This research experience exposed me to and sparked my interest in bioinformatic analyses.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Microbiology And Immunology

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Biochemistry