Bayesian Methods to Understand Microbial Communities from Sequencing Data
Official title: DMS/NIGMS 2: Bayesian Statistical Methods for Comprehensive Inferences on Microbial Community Dynamics Using High-Throughput Sequencing Data
Funded at University of California Santa Cruz · NIH-11396421 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new Bayesian statistical approach to analyze microbiome sequencing data to better understand how microbial communities change with the environment and over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $125,741 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM157612-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396421 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient group; the work is methodological using microbiome data.
✕Less likely to help
Patients would not directly participate in this methodological grant.
What this research studies
This grant aims to build flexible Bayesian methods that can model complex microbiome data from high-throughput sequencing. It will address how microbial communities vary with host and environmental factors, and extend to longitudinal and multi-omics studies. The work focuses on honest uncertainty quantification so results more accurately reflect what the data can tell us. Ultimately, the methods could help researchers gain clearer insights into microbiome roles in health and disease and support future intervention ideas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how microbiomes relate to health and disease, enabling more informed interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous microbiome analyses have benefited from Bayesian approaches, but this project seeks generalizable, higher-fidelity methods for complex data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Ju Hee — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Lee, Ju Hee
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.