Our Team | CAMS Research | UC Davis Health

Executive Director

Mohamed Ali is a professor and general surgeon, leading the Foregut, Metabolic, and General Surgery Division in the Department of Surgery. He also serves as Associate Medical Director at UC Davis Health.  His research connects nutrition sciences, endocrinology and surgery to study how metabolism changes in obesity, diabetes, and following bariatric surgery. His team also examines the specific factors that drive health risks often associated with obesity, in an effort to reverse or prevent cardiometabolic diseases.

Scientific Director

Sean Adams is a research professor and Vice Chair for Basic Research in the Department of Surgery. He works closely with clinical colleagues in Surgery and other departments to study the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and to identify molecular pathways that promote metabolic health. He has expertise in nutrition, bioenergetics and metabolism. His lab leverages these skills to characterize how food components and gut microbiota-derived xenometabolites impact host physiology and track dietary patterns.

Associate Scientific Director

Bethany Cummings is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery. Her laboratory has a long-standing interest in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology and treatment. In particular, her laboratory has made seminal contributions to the understanding of how bariatric surgery improves glucose regulation. Specifically, her group has identified a role for glucagon-like peptide-1 and bile acids in the metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery. This work has led her group to focus on the regulation of GLP-1 production in pancreatic islets and the regulation of bile acid metabolism by the gut microbiome to identify new targets for diabetes treatment. She has received funding from the NIH, Department of Defense, Hartwell Foundation and industry partners in support of these projects.

Clinical Director

Hazem Shamseddeen is a surgeon and professor in the Department of Surgery. His clinical interests are advanced laparoscopic surgery applied to bariatric procedures/revisions, colon resections, inguinal/ventral hernias, as well as complex foregut and bariatric surgeries such as RYGB, sleeve gastrectomy, and lap band. He also has interests in complex abdominal wall reconstruction, such as anterior and posterior component separation and performing robotic complex abdominal wall reconstruction.

Associate Clinical Director

Victoria Lyo is a surgeon in the Foregut, Metabolic, and General Surgery Division, with a research focus on understanding the interactions between the gut microbiome and human host. Specifically, she is interested in determining mechanisms by which the microbiome contributes to obesity and obesity-related diseases. By better understanding this area, she aims to improve the management of obesity and outcomes after bariatric surgery. She also performs research on surgical outcomes actively involved in medical education.

Assistant Professor

Shushmita Ahmed is a general surgeon with advanced training in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. She is experienced with both primary and revisional bariatric surgery, as well as complex foregut operations to treat acid reflux, hiatal hernias and achalasia. She is also experienced in hernia operations, including inguinal and complex ventral hernias, and is well trained in open, laparoscopic, and robotic hernia repair. She plays an active role in the Department of Surgery’s training and education programs for residents and fellows.

Associate Project Scientist

Trina Knotts is a cell and molecular biologist with expertise in intracellular metabolic signaling, nuclear receptors, and host-microbiome interactions in altered metabolic states and in response to changes in diet. Her current research evaluates the role of the microbiota and bacteria-derived metabolites on regulation of intestinal and whole-body metabolic function. She uses cell models for mechanistic studies, animal models to understand physiological interactions and systems crosstalk, and clinical specimens for translational relevance to human health.