John F. Rawls

John F. Rawls is a Professor at Duke University School of Medicine and Director of the Duke Microbiome Center. His research focuses on host-microbiome interactions in digestive physiology, inflammation, and energy balance, utilizing gnotobiotic zebrafish, mice, and human studies.

Research areas include

• Defining microbial signals and host pathways regulating nutrition and gene expression
• Developing in vivo imaging methods for zebrafish adipose tissues
• Exploring diet-microbiome links to pediatric obesity comorbidities

Scientific accolades include

• James B. Duke Distinguished Professorship
• CGIBD Pilot and Feasibility Award (2007)

As lab director, he leads a multi-institutional team studying microbiome contributions to health and disease. Current work examines microbial metabolites in energy metabolism and intestinal immunity, with collaborators across UNC, Duke, and international institutions.