Dr. Allen's research program concentrates on understanding how specific environmental interventions and conditions- 1. Exercise 2. Stress and 3. Nutrition interact to influence gut microbial communities (i.e. gut microbiota) during both homeostatic and pathological disease states. Dr. Allen’s lab applies research methods spanning in vitro organoid systems, pre-clinical animal models and human studies to study these effects. The Allen lab is particularly interested in understanding how gut microbes interact with the immune systems of the gut and brain to shape our physiology.