Mark Silverberg

Research Synopsis

Dr. Silverberg has co-led major international projects designed to identify genetic markers associated with ulcerative colitis and childhood-onset IBD. This research follows previous projects that have identified important genes related to adult-onset Crohn's disease. His ongoing work is focused on characterizing environmental variables and how they interact with an individual's genetic background to cause IBD. Specifically, his lab is elucidating the composition of the microbiome of the digestive tract in phenotypes such as pouchitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis as well as other forms of IBD. He is also exploring how dietary factors affect gut bacteria and how this may trigger IBD or lead to disease exacerbations. His lab plays a major role in the activities of the NIH/NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium, an international group of scientists and physicians, leading efforts to understand the mechanisms that lead to intestinal inflammation.