Federico Rey

Federico Rey is a Professor in the Department of Bacteriology and Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research focuses on the interplay between gut microbiota, diet, and host health, particularly in cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.

• Education: Licenciado en Bioquímica (University of Córdoba, Argentina, 1998), Ph.D. in Microbiology (University of Iowa, 2006), Postdoctoral Research at Washington University’s Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology.

Rey’s work investigates how microbial metabolism of nutrients like choline and flavonoids influences diseases such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s. His lab employs gnotobiotic mouse models, sequencing analyses, and collaborations to dissect mechanisms linking TMAO production, epigenetic changes, and vascular health. Recent studies explore dietary interventions (e.g., quercetin, tripropionin) and host genetic factors affecting microbiome composition. The lab also examines microbial contributions to metabolic syndrome, post-infarction cardiac repair, and bile acid transformations.

Notable trends in his publications include the role of bacterial pathways in cardiometabolic disease, microbiome interactions with dietary components, and microbial strain specificity in therapeutic engraftment. Collaborations span neurology, immunology, and systems genetics, addressing questions from social determinants to genetic mapping of host-microbe traits.