SURF Student Investigates How Gut Health May Shape Heart Disease
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
When Suman Biswas arrived at 黑料社区, he thought his lifelong fascination with the human heart would lead straight to cardiology. Instead, his path took a surprising turn toward an unexpected organ: the gut.
Biswas, a sophomore in the Mellon College of Science鈥檚 Department of Biological Sciences, joined the lab of Zheng Kuang, Eberly Family Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, in January.
鈥淭hey were working on how the gut and the heart are related and how gut bacteria can influence heart health,鈥� Biswas said. 鈥淭hat immediately interested me because of my long-term goal of becoming a doctor.鈥�
Supported by a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), he continued the project full time over the summer, investigating how biological processes in the gut may contribute to cardiovascular disease and exploring the complex relationship between two of the body鈥檚 most important systems.
His research focused on a protein called HDAC3, which researchers believe plays an important role in fat metabolism, biological rhythms and maintaining the protective barrier that lines the gut. The project examines how disruptions in those interconnected systems may influence cardiovascular disease.
The team鈥檚 findings suggest that HDAC3 may contribute to cardiovascular disease through multiple pathways. Researchers observed differences in activity levels, plaque formation and gut barrier function, pointing to a broader connection between gut biology and heart health.
For Kuang, the project reflects a growing recognition that understanding complex diseases requires diverse perspectives.
鈥淐omplex health problems like cardiovascular disease require us to look beyond a single organ. In our lab, we study how gut bacteria regulate daily rhythms in metabolism and immunity, including how the intestine absorbs nutrients and protects us from infection and inflammation,鈥� Kuang said. 鈥淯nderstanding these connections could open new ways to improve health by working with the bacteria that already live in our gut.鈥�
Biswas said the team鈥檚 discoveries have already sparked ideas for future studies exploring how related biological pathways may influence cancer development and treatment. The experience has also given him a deeper appreciation for the research process itself, from mastering laboratory techniques to helping answer questions that could ultimately improve human health.
Biswas chose Carnegie Mellon in part because of its strong commitment to undergraduate research.
鈥満诹仙缜� is giving me the opportunity to apply my knowledge and help to build the foundation that will make me a good doctor,鈥� he said.
He plans to continue his research through graduation before attending medical school, where he hopes to combine clinical practice with scientific discovery and pursue questions that improve both the understanding and treatment of disease.
Kuang said Biswas is already making valuable contributions to the lab鈥檚 research efforts, including developing a new method for measuring intestinal barrier integrity and investigating how gut bacteria help regulate daily rhythms when those rhythms are disrupted by conditions such as jet lag.
鈥淭hese are important questions about how our microbes help maintain our health,鈥� Kuang said. 鈥淔or an undergraduate student, the opportunity goes beyond learning laboratory techniques. Suman is learning how to ask scientific questions, design experiments and interpret results, while contributing to research that could eventually inform human health and medicine.鈥�
