Jacques Ravel

Dr. Jacques Ravel is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He serves as the Acting Director of the Institute for Genome Sciences and Director of the Center for Advanced Microbiome Research & Innovation (CAMRI). Additionally, he holds the position of Assistant Dean for Research Advancement at the School of Medicine.

Dr. Ravel received his educational training through the following path:

• B.Sc. in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Nancy I, France (1990)
• M.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Nancy I, France (1992)
• Ph.D. in Microbial Ecology from the University of Maryland at College Park (1994-1999), advised by Dr. Russell Hill
• Post-doctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University Chemistry Department (1999-2002), working with Dr. Craig Townsend

Dr. Ravel's research program focuses on applying modern genomics technologies and ecological principles to characterize the role and dynamics of microbial communities inhabiting the human body in health and disease. His work particularly emphasizes deciphering the role of the vaginal microbiome in women's health using clinical genomics and systems biology approaches. His laboratory investigates how the interactions between the host, microbes, and environment drive these ecological systems, with the goal of developing improved strategies to manage gynecological and obstetrics conditions. His research spans vaginal microbiome dynamics across menopause, preterm birth risk, and sexually transmitted infections.

Dr. Ravel's extensive publication record (over 275 publications) reveals a strong focus on vaginal microbiome research, with particular attention to bacterial vaginosis, sexually transmitted infections, and women's health across different life stages. His work spans methodological development for microbiome analysis, clinical studies of microbiome-host interactions, and translational research aimed at developing microbiome-based interventions.

Dr. Ravel has received significant recognition for his work:

• Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in 2012
• Awarded the Blaise Pascal International Research Chair in 2015
• Editor in Chief of the journal Microbiome
• Associate Editor for the journal mBio

As a principal investigator and co-investigator, Dr. Ravel leads multiple NIH-funded research projects. His current grants span topics including vaginal microbiome dynamics across menopause, preterm birth risk among Black women, development of 3D biomimetic models of the cervicovaginal tract for studying STIs, and interactions between vaginal microbiota and Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Through these projects, he mentors numerous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty. His co-Directorship of the NIH funded Collaborative Research Center on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (SIM-STI) demonstrates his leadership in developing innovative biomimetic models of the lower reproductive tract.

Dr. Ravel directs the Center for Advanced Microbiome Research & Innovation (CAMRI) and co-directs the NIH-funded Collaborative Research Center on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (SIM-STI). His laboratory (www.ravel-lab.org) brings together microbiologists, genomicists, computational biologists, and clinicians to advance our understanding of the human microbiome and its implications for health and disease. He is also leading the Vaginal Microbiome Research Consortium for Africa, a multicentre prospective clinical study evaluating temporal vaginal microbial composition associated with reproductive health outcomes.