Hamid M Said

Hamid M. Said, PhD, PharmD is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. He also holds a joint appointment as Distinguished Professor in the Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation within the Department of Medicine, and serves as Vice-Chairman for Basic and Translational Research in the Department of Medicine.

Dr. Said's research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in gastrointestinal handling of water-soluble vitamins, particularly biotin (vitamin B7) and thiamin (vitamin B1). His pioneering work has established the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) system as the primary mechanism for biotin uptake in human intestinal epithelial cells. His laboratory investigates how inflammation, bacterial products, and genetic factors affect vitamin transport processes in the gut, with significant implications for understanding inflammatory bowel disease and nutritional deficiencies.

Analysis of Dr. Said's extensive publication record reveals a consistent focus on vitamin transport physiology, with recent work expanding into the interactions between gut microbiota and vitamin metabolism. His research spans molecular mechanisms, cell biology, animal models, and potential clinical applications. A key theme across his work is how inflammatory conditions disrupt normal vitamin absorption processes, creating potential vicious cycles in gastrointestinal diseases.

Dr. Said has maintained continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, particularly from the NIDDK (DK 56061 and DK58057), supporting his research for many years. His laboratory employs diverse methodologies including molecular biology, cell culture models, gene expression analysis, and animal studies to investigate the physiological relevance of vitamin transport mechanisms. His work has established important connections between nutrient absorption, gut microbiome function, and inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract.