Research Fellow

Chien-wen Su, PhD

Dr. Chien-wen Su, received her Ph. D. degree from Providence University in Taiwan. She is now a postdoctoral research fellow with Dr. Hai Ning Shi, studying the modulatory role of probiotics and/or prebiotics in gastrointestinal infections and allergic disorders. The intestinal epithelium is constantly exposed to a large variety of antigens from food and bacteria. The direct interactions between intestinal epithelium and luminal bacteria may play a role in the induction of immune or inflammatory responses of intestinal epithelium. We have observed that L. acidophilus inoculation in mice inhibits C. rodentium-induced colitis, which is associated with a decrease in C. rodentium colonization and translocation, an increase in its clearance, and a suppression of colonic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Probiotic treatment also stimulates regulatory cytokine expression in the colon (TGF-beta and IL-10). Dr. Su’s research work is focused on the understanding of how probiotics affect mocusal T cell responses to enteric bacterial infection and how probiotics-induced changes in mucosal T cell function modulate intestinal epithelial barrier function. She is a Fellow in Dr. Shi's lab.