Lawrence David

Lawrence David, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University with affiliations at the Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology and the Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD). His research bridges computational biology, genomics, and nutrition science to investigate diet-microbiome interactions in gastrointestinal health.

His primary research interests include:

• Gut Microbiome dynamics
• Dietary impact on microbial ecology
• Computational genomics
• Precision nutrition strategies
• Microbiome engineering tools

Dr. David pioneered the discovery of ecological succession in the human gut following cholera infection and demonstrated rapid microbiome responses to dietary shifts within 24 hours. His lab develops innovative experimental platforms including microfluidics and artificial gut systems, alongside computational methods for genomic data analysis. Current work focuses on precision nutrition interventions using prebiotic fibers and the FoodSeq technology for dietary biomarker development.

Key recognitions include:

• Junior Fellowship at Harvard’s Society of Fellows
• CGIBD Pilot Feasibility Award (2017)

He leads the citizen science initiative Everyone EATS (Edible Atlas Through Sequencing), which analyzes dietary patterns across 800+ species using DNA sequencing. His lab actively recruits postdoctoral researchers for microbiome and nutrition studies.