Andrew D. Patterson

Dr. Andrew D. Patterson is a Professor of Molecular Toxicology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University, holding joint appointments in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. He serves as the Tombros Early Career Professor and Scientific Director of Metabolomics. His research focuses on host-microbiota communication networks, particularly how diet and xenobiotics influence gut microbiota, bile acid metabolism, and ligand-activated transcription factors. He employs metabolomics, genomics, and gnotobiotic mice models to study metabolic pathways impacting human health and disease.

Dr. Patterson earned his BS in Microbiology from PSU and his PhD from the National Cancer Institute/George Washington University partnership. His postdoctoral training was under Dr. Frank J. Gonzalez in metabolic research. He teaches the Toxicology major’s introductory course, VB SC 230, covering principles like dose-response relationships and toxicity mechanisms.

Research highlights include investigating the impact of persistent organic pollutants on microbiome-host metabolic homeostasis and developing tools like microbeMASST for microbial metabolomics. His work bridges environmental toxicology with microbiome science, addressing metabolic diseases, environmental chemicals, and dietary interventions.

• Awards: Tombros Early Career Professor
• Editorial Roles: Associate Editor for Toxicological Sciences and Environmental Health Perspectives
• Labs/Teams: Leads the Patterson Lab, affiliated with the Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis and Microbiome Center.

His research integrates metabolomics, bioinformatics, and systems biology to address complex host-microbe interactions, with applications in personalized medicine and environmental health.