MMI Department Chair Receives RISE Award

Satya Dandekar, Ph.D.

Satya Dandekar, Professor and Chair of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, has been awarded funding from the new Research Investments in Sciences and Engineering (RISE) program to conduct innovative, multidisciplinary research in areas of strategic importance to California, the nation and the world.

Established by the UC Davis Office of Research earlier this year, the program has awarded a total of $10 million to support 12 research projects over the next three years. Five projects are led by UC Davis Health faculty.

Dr. Dandekar is leading research on Protecting the Fragile Intestine: Integrating Microbiota and Mucosal Health. The researchers will apply a novel combination of milk-derived oligosaccharides and a uniquely human Bifidobacterium species known to have anti-inflammatory effects on immune cells to repair and protect the intestine in critical clinical populations, including premature infants, HIV-infected adults with incomplete immune recovery, chemotherapy patients and individuals with inflammatory bowel disease.

Dr. Dandekar is collaborating with Bruce German in the food science and technology department, Mark Underwood in pediatric neonatology, David Mills in the viticulture and enology department, Ralph deVere White from the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Richard Pollard in infectious diseases and Thomas Prindiville in gastroenterology and hepatology.