Matthew Odenwald

Matthew Odenwald is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. His research focuses on the intestinal epithelial barrier, gut microbiota interactions, and their roles in liver disease and transplantation. He has received NIH funding for studying cytoskeletal mechanisms of epithelial morphogenesis (F30DK103511, 2014–2017). His work bridges molecular biology, immunology, and clinical outcomes, with a particular emphasis on metabolite-driven microbiome dynamics and their impact on systemic infections.

Recent studies include investigating how dietary and host-derived metabolites influence gut bacteria anaerobic respiration (2024), optimizing post-liver transplant infection prediction via fecal metabolomics (2024), and developing lactulose-based therapies to prevent systemic infections in liver patients (2023).

Collaborations include teams led by Aronsohn, Pillai, and Fung. His research has been highlighted in Nature Microbiol, Cell Host Microbe, and Gastroenterology. He actively contributes to clinical guidelines on liver transplantation and immune checkpoint inhibitor hepatotoxicity management.

Future directions include exploring microbiome-host interactions in critical illness and advancing personalized therapies targeting epithelial dysfunction.