The Department of Human Oncology (DHO) welcomed its new Bentson Translational Research Fellow Dr. LeMoyne Habimana-Griffin in September. Dr. Habimana-Griffin earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering, his MD, and completed his radiation oncology residency at Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
Under the joint mentorship of Dr. Federico Rey, Ira Baldwin Professor in the Departments of Bacteriology and Medical Microbiology & Immunology, and Dr. Randy Kimple, Professor and Associate Chair of Business and Faculty Development in the Department of Human Oncology, Dr. Habimana-Griffin will develop an independent research program focused on understanding how the human microbiome influences cancer progression and response to treatment.
Started in 2017, the Bentson Translational Research Fellowship is one of only a handful of programs in the United States that provide predominantly protected postgraduate research time in radiation oncology, bridging the gap between postdoctoral training and becoming an independent investigator. It’s incredibly unique and necessary to help these scientists make the transition from trainee to independent investigator in academic faculty positions. During his time in the program, Dr. Habimana-Griffin will devote 100% of his effort to developing the skills and credentials essential for success as a physician-scientist. In addition to his research, he will have opportunities to teach and mentor residents, graduate students, and undergraduates in both classroom and laboratory settings. He will also refine his technical and grant-writing skills.
Dr. Habimana-Griffin’s research explores how the bacteria that live in and on our bodies process nutrients from our diet in ways that can influence how patients respond to cancer treatment, including radiation therapy. By combining studies in both mouse models and patient samples, his goal is to identify ways to harness the microbiome to make cancer treatments more effective and less toxic.
"I want to understand the role of the human microbiome, how that contributes to pathogenesis of cancer and then modulates the efficacy and toxicity of cancer treatment."
Bentson Fellow LeMoyne Habimana-Griffin
“My hope is to build on what I’ve learned in my post-doctoral time during my residency. What I want to do is understand the role of the human microbiome, how that contributes to pathogenesis of cancer and then modulates the efficacy and toxicity of cancer treatment,” Dr. Habimana-Griffin says. “I’ll be focusing on two ways of doing this. The first is by developing translationally oriented research in those areas and that’s where the collaboration with Dr. Kimple comes into play and secondly, I will aim to determine how to make preclinical models more robust and translatable to patient care.”
“Dr. Habimana-Griffin’s research fits in well with our work focused on improving outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer,” said Dr. Randy Kimple. “This program is critically important, and it has been a joy to see prior mentees such as Dr. Ravi Patel and Dr. Pippa Cosper find success through this program.”
Dr. Rey’s team investigates mechanisms by which gut bacterial metabolism modulate host biology, including cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration. “I am thrilled to collaborate with Dr. Habimana-Griffin and Dr. Kimple on this project,” said Dr. Rey. “This interdisciplinary effort has the potential to advance our understanding of how the microbiome influences treatment response and pave the way for personalized strategies to improve patient outcomes.”
Dr. Habimana-Griffin continues, “There are challenges in microbiome research using lab mice. Researchers often use germ-free mice with controlled microbiomes to study how specific microbes affect phenotypes, but this limits the mice’s immune system development since they lack normal gut flora. This is especially relevant in cancer research, where the immune system influences treatment responses. There is a need to standardize microbiome models across labs to ensure consistent results and to make the mice’s microbiomes more representative of human patients.”
Dr. Pippa Cosper, Director of the Bentson Fellowship Program remarks, “Dr. Habimana-Griffin was selected because of who he is and what he wants to become. He has significant potential to become an independent physician-scientist and needs dedicated research time to continue to develop himself and his science. His studies address a gap in current research – the microbiome is becoming increasingly important in cancer care, and we don’t have anyone studying that in our department. His prior knowledge and expertise, and the research that he’s going to do, will provide much needed insight into a novel aspect of cancer biology. We are eager to see the exceptional work he will accomplish as a fellow.”