Ravinder Nagpal, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Lab: The Gut Biome Lab

rnagpal@fsu.edu

Vita

ravinder headshot

Get to know Dr. Nagpal

Interests

My research focuses on understanding the role of the gut microbiome in host aging-associated intestinal and neurocognitive health. The overarching goals of my research program are to discover gut ‘dysbiosis’ elements and underlying mechanisms of beneficial versus pathogenic microbes and metabolites in host physiology and to harness this knowledge to develop novel nutritional/pharmacological interventions to foster a healthier microbiome and ameliorate gut, cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative disorders including obesity, type-2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, the ongoing research in my microbiome research lab is centered on unveiling the cellular, molecular and microecological mechanisms underlying the following:

(a) the role of gut microbiome dysbiosis and entero-septic pathobiome elements in host neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease.

(b) interaction of gut microbiome with specific dietary constituents and pre/probiotics in context to host metabolic and neurodegenerative health.

(c) the role of maternal and neonatal microbiome elements in relation to developmental origins of health and disease.

We utilize cutting-edge and high-throughput microbiological, metagenomic, computational and preclinical models to gain comprehensive understanding of specific bacteriome, mycobiome and metabolome factors and their interactions with the host physiological system. Our lab has an extensive array of multidisciplinary collaborations with experts in gerontology, neuroscience, microbiology, nutrition/food sciences, cell/molecular biology, immunology, sepsis, and clinical care, with the principal mission to gain advanced and inclusive insights into this intricate and fascinating area of research.

Education

  • Postdoc training (Microbiome and Metabolism): Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
  • Postdoc training (Infant Gut Flora): Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
  • PhD (Dairy Microbiology): National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
  • MSc (Microbiology): Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, India
  • BSc (Life Sciences): DS College, Karnal, India

Accomplishments

  • Young Investigator Travel Grant Award, Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2023.
  • Early Investigator Grant Award: Almond Board of California (ABC-USDA). 2022.
  • Young Investigator Grant Award: Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). 2021.
  • Robert B. Bradley Library Research Award, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA. 2021
  • Paper of Distinction recognition: European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (ESPGHAN), Prague, Czech Republic. 2017.
  • Best Paper Award: European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (ESPGHAN); Athens, Greece. 2016.
  • Young Investigator Award: Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation, Bangaluru, India. 2012.
  • Best Paper Award: Indian Dairy Association (IDA), Goa, India. 2009.
  • Junior Researcher Scholarship: Asian Federation of Societies of Lactic Acid Bacteria (AFSLAB), Singapore. 2009.
  • Doctoral Scholarship: Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Government of India, 2004-2008.

Membership

  • American Society for Nutrition (ASN)
  • International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUCN)
  • Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
  • The U.S. Shock Society
  • International Association for Food Protection (IAFP)
  • International Scientific Association of Probiotics & Prebiotics (ISAPP)
  • Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI)
  • International Probiotics Association (IPA)

Editorial Board Membership

  • BMC Microbiology
  • Frontiers in Nutrition
  • Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
  • Molecular Psychology
  • Nutrients
  • Antibiotics
  • Recent Patents in Food, Nutrition & Agriculture

Journal Peer Review Service

Nature Communications; Gut Microbes; Microbiome; EBioMedicine; Advanced Science; Gut Microbiome; Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences; Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); Communication Biology; Journal of Alzheimer’s disease; iScience; Clinical Nutrition; FEMS Microbiology; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics; BMC Microbiology; Food Research International; Scientific Reports; Clinical & Translational Medicine; Nutrients; mSystems; Neurogastroenterology & Motility; American Journal of Functional Foods; Nutritional Neuroscience; Infection & Immunity; mBio; mSystems; Frontiers in Microbiomes; Microbiome Research Reports; BMC Neuroscience.

Teaching

  • Nutrition and Microbiome (HUN 5938)
  • The Science of Nutrition (HUN 1201)
  • Directed Individual Study (HUN 6906; HUN 4913)

Research Support

  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
  • Almond Board of California (ABC-USDA)
  • Florida Department of Health (FLDoH)
  • US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • National Institute of Health (NIH)
  • Juntendo Probiotics Research Laboratory, Tokyo
  • FSU Council on Research and Creativity
  • FSU Institute for Successful Longevity
  • Southern Shrimp Alliance, Florida, USA

Selected Pubs and Other Scholarly Activities

For a complete list see PubMed or Google Scholar.

2023

  1. Kadyan S, Park G, Wang B, Singh P, Arjmandi B, Nagpal R. Resistant starches from dietary pulses modulate the gut metabolome in association with microbiome in a humanized murine model of ageing. Scientific Reports 2023;13(1):10566.
  2. Bouch RJ, Zhang J, Miller BC, Robbins CJ, Mosher TH, Li W, Krupenko SA, Nagpal R, Zhao J, Bloomfeld RS, Lu Y, Nikiforov MA, Song Q, He Z. Distinct inflammatory Th17 subsets emerge in autoimmunity and infection. Journal of Experimental Medicine 2023; 220(10):e20221911.
  3. Munley JA, Kelly LS, Park G, Gillies GS, Pons EE, Kannan KB, Bible LE, Efron PA, Nagpal R, Mohr AM. Sex-specific intestinal dysbiosis persists after multicompartmental injury. Surgery. 2023 Oct 11:S0039-6060(23)00524-X.
  4. Kadyan S, Sharma A, Arjmandi BH, Singh P, Nagpal R. Prebiotic mechanisms of resistant starches from dietary beans and pulses on gut microbiome and metabolic health in a humanized murine model of aging. Frontiers in Nutrition; 2023, 10:1106463.
  5. Singh TP, Kadyan S, Devi H, Park G, Nagpal R. Gut microbiome as a therapeutic target for liver diseases. Life Sciences 2023 Jun 1;322:121685.
  6. Munley JA, Kirkpatrick SL, Gillies GS, Bible LE, Efron PA, Nagpal R, Mohr AM. The Intestinal Microbiome after Traumatic Injury. Microorganisms. 2023 Aug 2;11(8):1990.
  7. Singh S, Sarma DK, Verma V, Nagpal R, Kumar M. Unveiling the future of metabolic medicine: omics technologies driving personalized solutions for precision treatment of metabolic disorders. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2023 Nov 19;682:1-20.
  8. Centner AM, Khalili L, Ukhanov V, Kadyan S, Nagpal R, Salazar G. The Role of Phytochemicals and Gut Microbiome in Atherosclerosis in Preclinical Mouse Models. Nutrients. 2023 Feb 28;15(5):1212.
  9. Nataraj BH, Shashank Gowda BG, Kapila S, Arora S, Puniya AK, Nagpal R, Behare PV. Influence of exopolysaccharide EPSKar1-iron complexation on iron bioavailability and alleviating iron deficiency anemia in Wistar rats. Food & Function 2023;14(10):4931-4947.
  10. Kadyan S, Park G, Wang B, Nagpal R. Dietary fiber modulates gut microbiome and metabolome in a host sex-specific manner in a murine model of aging. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 2023;10:1182643.
  11. Singh S, Sarma DK, Verma V, Nagpal R, Kumar M. From Cells to Environment: Exploring the Interplay between Factors Shaping Bone Health and Disease. Medicina. 2023 Aug 25;59(9):1546.
  12. Ellouze I, Sheffler J, Nagpal R, Arjmandi B. Dietary patterns and Alzheimer’s disease: an updated review linking nutrition to neuroscience. Nutrients 2023 Jul 19;15(14):3204.
  13. Munley J, Nagpal R, Hanson N, Mirzaie A, Laquian L, Mohr A, Efron P, Arnaoutakis D, Cooper M. Chronic mesenteric ischemia-induced intestinal dysbiosis resolves after revascularization. Journal of Vascular Surgery 2023; 9(2):10108.
  14. Polcz VE, Barrios EL, Chapin B, Price CC, Nagpal R, Chakrabarty P, Casadesus G, Foster T, Moldawer LL, Efron PA. Sex, sepsis and the brain: defining the role of sexual dimorphism on neurocognitive outcomes after infection. Clinical Science 2023;137(12):963-978.
  15. Munley JA, Kelly LS, Park G, Gillies GS, Pons EE, Kannan KB, Whitley EM, Bible LE, Efron PA, Nagpal R, Mohr AM. Multicompartmental traumatic injury induces sex-specific alterations in the gut microbiome. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 2023;95(1):30-38 (PMID: 36872509).
  16. Singh S, Sharma P, Sarma DK, Kumawat M, Tiwari R, Verma V, Nagpal R, Kumar M. Implication of obesity and gut microbiome dysbiosis in the etiology of colorectal cancer. Cancers 2023 Mar 22;15(6):1913.
  17. Kumari M, Kumari R, Nataraj BH, Shelke PA, Ali SA, Nagpal R, Behare PV. Physicochemical and rheological characterizations of a novel exopolysaccharide EPSKar1 and its iron complex EPSKar1-Fe: Towards potential iron-fortification applications. Current Research in Food Science 2023; 6:100478.

2022

  1. Kadyan S, Sharma A, Arjmandi BH, Singh P, Nagpal R. Prebiotic potential of dietary beans and pulses and their resistant starch for aging-associated gut and metabolic health. Nutrients. 2022;14(9):1726.
  2. Clark M, Centner AM, Ukhanov V, Nagpal R, Salazar G. Gallic acid ameliorates atherosclerosis and vascular senescence and remodels the microbiome in a sex-dependent manner in ApoE-/- mice. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2022;110:109132.
  3. Velez F, Bosilevac JM, Delannoy S, Fach P, Nagpal R, Singh P. Development and validation of high-resolution melting assays for the detection of potentially virulent strains of Escherichia coli O103 and O121. Food Control 2022; 139:109095.
  4. Kumari M, Dasriya VL, Nataraj BH, Nagpal R, Behare PV. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus-derived exopolysaccharide attenuates d-galactose-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory brain injury and modulates gut microbiota in a mouse model. Microorganisms. 2022 Oct 17;10(10):2046.
  5. James MM, Pal N, Sharma P, Kumawat M, Shubham S, Verma V, Tiwari RR, Singh B, Nagpal R, Sarma DK, Kumar M. Role of butyrogenic Firmicutes in type-2 diabetes. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders 2022 Jul 14;21(2):1873-1882.
  6. Bhattacharya SS, Yadav B, Rosen L, Nagpal R, Yadav H, Yadav JS. Crosstalk between gut microbiota and lung inflammation in murine toxicity models of respiratory exposure or co-exposure to carbon nanotube particles and cigarette smoke extract. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 2022 Jul 15;447:116066.
  7. Srivastava U, Nataraj BH, Kumari M, Kadyan S, Puniya AK, Behare PV, Nagpal R. Antioxidant and immunomodulatory potency of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus NCDC24 fermented milk-derived peptides: A computationally guided in-vitro and ex-vivo investigation. Peptides. 2022; 155:170843.
  8. Singh S, Sharma P, Pal N, Kumawat M, Shubham S, Sarma DK, Tiwari RR, Kumar M, Nagpal R. Impact of environmental pollutants on gut microbiome and mental health via the gut-brain axis. Microorganisms. 2022; 10(7):1457.
  9. Kumar M, James MM, Kumawat M, Nabi B, Sharma P, Pal N, Shubham S, Tiwari RR, Sarma DK, Nagpal R. Aging and microbiome in the modulation of vaccine efficacy. Biomedicines. 2022; 10(7):1545.
  10. Kumar M, Pal N, Sharma P, Kumawat M, Sarma DK, Nabi B, Verma V, Tiwari RR, Shubham S, Arjmandi B, Nagpal R. Omega-3 fatty acids and their interaction with the gut microbiome in the prevention and amelioration of type-2 diabetes. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 21;14(9):1723.
  11. Sarma DK, Kumar M, Dhurve J, Pal N, Sharma P, James MM, Das D, Mishra S, Shubham S, Kumawat M, Verma V, Tiwari RR, Nagpal R, Marotta F. Influence of host blood meal source on gut microbiota of wild caught Aedes aegypti, a dominant arboviral disease vector. Microorganisms. 2022 Feb 1;10(2):332.

2021

  1. Nagpal R, Indugu N, Singh P. Distinct Gut microbiota signatures in mice treated with commonly used food preservatives. Microorganisms. 2021 Nov 7;9(11):2311.
  2. Rejeski JJ, Wilson FM, Nagpal R, Yadav H, Weinberg RB. The impact of a Mediterranean diet on the gut microbiome in healthy human subjects. Digestion 2021 Nov 8:1-8.
  3. Sharma L, Nagpal R, Jackson CR, Patel D, Singh P. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and gut microbiome communities associated with wild-caught shrimp from the United States versus imported farm-raised retail shrimp. Scientific Reports 2021; 11(1):1-14.
  4. Kumari M, Singh P, Nataraj BH, Kokkiligadda A, Naithani H, Azmal Ali S, Behare PV, Nagpal R. Fostering next-generation probiotics in human gut by targeted dietary modulation: An emerging perspective. Food Res Int. 2021 Dec;150(Pt A):110716.
  5. Vasundhara D, Raju VN, Hemalatha R, Nagpal R, Kumar M. Vaginal & gut microbiota diversity in pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis & effect of oral probiotics: An exploratory study. Indian J Med Res. 2021 Apr;153(4):492-502.
  6. Kincaid HJ, Nagpal R, Yadav H. Diet-microbiota-brain axis in Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2021; 27:1-7.
  7. Miller B, Mainali R, Nagpal R, Yadav H. A newly developed synbiotic yogurt prevents diabetes by improving the microbiome-intestine-pancreas axis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021; 22(4):1647.
  8. Saccon TD*, Nagpal R*, Yadav H, Cavalcante MB, Nunes ADC, Schneider A, Gesing A, Hughes B, Yousefzadeh M, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL, Niedernhofer LJ, Robbins PD, Masternak MM. Senolytic combination of Dasatinib and Quercetin alleviates intestinal senescence and inflammation and modulates the gut microbiome in aged mice. Journal of Gerontology 2021: glab002 (*equal contribution).
  9. Miller B, Mainali R, Nagpal R, Yadav H. A newly developed synbiotic yogurt prevents diabetes by improving the microbiome-intestine-pancreas axis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021; 22(4):1647.

2020 and earlier

      1. Nagpal R, Neth BJ, Wang S, Mishra SP, Craft S, Yadav H. Gut mycobiome and its interaction with diet, gut bacteria and Alzheimer’s disease markers in subjects with mild cognitive impairment: A pilot study. EBioMedicine 2020; 59:102950.
      2. Nagpal R, Mishra SP, Yadav H. Unique gut microbiome signatures depict diet- versus genetically-induced obesity in mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020; 21(10):3434.
      3. Nagpal R, Mishra SK, Deep G, Yadav H. Role of TRP channels in shaping the gut microbiome. Pathogens 2020; 9(9):753.
      4. Kincaid HJ, Nagpal R, Yadav H. Microbiome-immune-metabolic axis in the epidemic of childhood obesity: Evidence and opportunities. Obesity Reviews 2020; 21(2):e12963.
      5. Young TM, Bray AS, Nagpal R, Caudell DL, Yadav H, Zafar MA. Animal model to study Klebsiella pneumoniae gastrointestinal colonization and host-to-host transmission. Infection and immunity 2020; 88(11).
      6. Ahmadi S, Wang S, Nagpal R, Wang B, Jain S, Razazan A, Mishra SP, Zhu X, Wang Z, Kavanagh K, Yadav H. A human-origin probiotic cocktail ameliorates aging-related leaky gut and inflammation via modulating the microbiota/taurine/tight junction axis. Journal of Clinical Investigation – JCI Insight 2020; 5(9):e132055.
      7. Ahmadi S, Razazan A, Nagpal R, Jain S, Wang B, Mishra SP, Wang S, Justice J, Ding J, McClain DA, Kritchevsky SB, Kitzman D, Yadav H. Metformin Reduces Aging-Related Leaky Gut and Improves Cognitive Function by Beneficially Modulating Gut Microbiome/Goblet Cell/Mucin Axis. Journal of Gerontology 2020; 75(7):e9-e21.
      8. Wang S, Ahmadi S, Nagpal R, Jain S, Mishra SP, Kavanagh K, Zhu X, Wang Z, McClain DA, Kritchevsky SB, Kitzman DW, Yadav H. Lipoteichoic acid from the cell wall of a heat killed Lactobacillus paracasei D3-5 ameliorates aging-related leaky gut, inflammation and improves physical and cognitive functions. Geroscience 2020; 42(1):333-352.
      9. Nagpal R, Neth BJ, Wang S, Craft S, Yadav H. Modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diet modulates gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acids in association with Alzheimer’s disease markers in subjects with mild cognitive impairment. EBioMedicine. 2019; 47:529-542.
      10. Nagpal R, Shively CA, Register TC, Craft S, Yadav H. Gut microbiome-Mediterranean diet interactions in improving host health. F1000Research 2019; 8:699.
      11. Ahmadi S*, Nagpal R*, Wang S, Gagliano J, Kitzman DW, Soleimanian-Zad S, Sheikh-Zeinoddin M, Read R, Yadav H. Prebiotics from acorn and sago prevent high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance via microbiome-gut-brain axis modulation. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2019; 67:1-13 (*equal contribution).
      12. Whang A, Nagpal R, Yadav H. Bi-directional drug-microbiome interactions of anti-diabetics. EBioMedicine 2019; 39:591-602.
      13. Nagpal R, Newman TM, Wang S, Jain S, Lovato JF, Yadav H. Obesity-Linked Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis Associated with Derangements in Gut Permeability and Intestinal Cellular Homeostasis Independent of Diet. Journal of Diabetes Research 2018; 2018:3462092.
      14. Nagpal R, Wang S, Ahmadi S, Hayes J, Gagliano J, Subashchandrabose S, Kitzman DW, Becton T, Read R, Yadav H. A human-origin probiotic cocktail increases short-chain fatty acid production via modulation of mice and human gut microbiome. Scientific Reports 2018; 8(1):12649.
      15. Nagpal R, Shively CA, Appt SA, Register TC, Michalson KT, Vitolins MZ, Yadav H. Gut Microbiome Composition in Non-human Primates Consuming a Western or Mediterranean Diet. Frontiers in Nutrition 2018 Apr 25;5:28.
      16. Nagpal R, Kurakawa T, Tsuji H, Takahashi T, Kawashima K, Nagata S, Nomoto K, Yamashiro Y. Evolution of gut Bifidobacterium population in healthy Japanese infants over the first three years of life: a quantitative assessment. Scientific Reports 2017; 7(1):10097.
      17. Nagpal R, Tsuji H, Takahashi T, Nomoto K, Kawashima K, Nagata S, Yamashiro Y. Ontogenesis of the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy, Full-Term, Vaginally Born and Breast-Fed Infants over the First 3 Years of Life: A Quantitative Bird’s-Eye View. Frontiers in Microbiology 2017; 8:1388.
      18. Suzuki Y, Ikeda K, Sakuma K, Kawai S, Sawaki K, Asahara T, Takahashi T, Tsuji H, Nomoto K, Nagpal R, Wang C, Nagata S, Yamashiro Y. Association between Yogurt Consumption and Intestinal Microbiota in Healthy Young Adults Differs by Host Gender. Frontiers in Microbiology 2017; 8:847.
      19. Nagpal R, Tsuji H, Takahashi T, Kawashima K, Nagata S, Nomoto K, Yamashiro Y. Sensitive Quantitative Analysis of the Meconium Bacterial Microbiota in Healthy Term Infants Born Vaginally or by Cesarean Section. Frontiers in Microbiology 2016; 7:1997.
      20. Nagpal R, Ogata K, Tsuji H, Matsuda K, Takahashi T, Nomoto K, Suzuki Y, Kawashima K, Nagata S, Yamashiro Y. Sensitive quantification of Clostridium perfringens in human feces by quantitative real-time PCR targeting alpha-toxin and enterotoxin genes. BMC Microbiology 2015; 15:219.
      21. Rajkumar H, Kumar M, Das N, Kumar SN, Challa HR, Nagpal R. Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus salivarius ubl s22 and prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharide on serum lipids, inflammatory markers, insulin sensitivity, and gut bacteria in healthy young volunteers: a randomized controlled single-blind pilot study. Journal of Cardiovascular & Pharmacological Therapeutics 2015; 20(3):289-98.
      22. Nagpal R, Yadav H, Marotta F. Gut microbiota: the next-gen frontier in preventive and therapeutic medicine? Frontiers in Medicine 2014; 1:15.
      23. Nagpal R, Kumar A, Kumar M, Behare PV, Jain S, Yadav H. Probiotics, their health benefits and applications for developing healthier foods: a review. FEMS Microbiology Letters 2012; 334(1):1-15.