Christian Jobin, Ph.D., who leads innovative research on how the microbiome affects cancer, inflammation, and drug responses, has been named a UF Distinguished Professor. It’s the highest faculty honor awarded at UF.
Jobin, Gatorade Professor of Medicine and co-leader of the UF Health Cancer Center’s Immuno-Oncology and Microbiome research program, is the first distinguished professor in the UF Department of Medicine and one of only seven faculty members in the UF College of Medicine’s history to receive the distinction.
Distinguished Professors at UF are named based on an exceptional record of achievement in teaching, research, and publication, as well as for professional and public service, both nationally and internationally. The title signifies a rare and special accomplishment, acknowledging a candidate’s preeminent standing in their discipline.
“Dr. Jobin is a world-renowned expert on the microbiome and has made remarkable discoveries on how the microbiome impacts inflammation and cancer,” said Jamie B. Conti, M.D., FACC, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine.
Jobin’s lab has been at the forefront of microbiota research in recent years and has contributed valuable knowledge on how bacteria influence the development of colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer. His lab discovered the cancer-promoting effect of colibactin, a metabolite produced by some gut E. coli, and revealed how inflammation impacts DNA damage induced by microbes that can lead to mutations and diseases like cancer.
Jobin’s lab uses state-of-the-art genomic and engineering techniques to analyze the specific contributions of bacteria to cancer using preclinical models. He spearheaded an effort to establish a specialized germ-free animal care facility at UF where researchers can carefully study the contribution of specific or complex microbial ecosystems on host health and diseases.
Jobin’s research program is supported by numerous grants from the National Cancer Institute and other institutes at the National Institutes of Health. He has emerged as an international expert, with invitations to speak at premier institutions and conferences from Australia to Taiwan. Jobin has also chaired numerous symposia on microbiota and cancer for the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
He has been asked to serve on study sections for several private foundations and government agencies, including as a permanent member of the NIH’s Gastrointestinal Mucosal Pathobiology Study Section from 2015 to 2021 and current reviewer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). He has also served as an editor for several of the leading journals in the field, and he is currently an associate editor of the journal Gut.
Jobin has outstanding scientific vision, and his “superpower” is his ability to collaborate effectively; in doing so, he elevates the work of many scientists and clinicians at UF, said Ellen Zimmermann, M.D., a professor in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition and vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Medicine.
In his leadership role at the UF Health Cancer Center, Jobin oversees research across several labs and clinical groups in microbiome research and fosters collaborations. He played a key role in the center achieving designation from the National Cancer Institute.
To capitalize on UF’s strengths and further position the center as a leader in microbiota translational cancer research, Jobin spearheaded the creation of a novel Microbiome Cancer Biobank. The biobank aims to make it easier to collect and preserve samples, aiding cancer researchers across campus.
Before coming to UF in 2013, Jobin worked on the faculty at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He earned his doctoral degree in immunology and microbiology at the Université Laval in Quebec, Canada.
Watch a video about Dr. Jobin’s research below.
