Dr. Kunal Dixit

Ph.D. Thesis on:
Microbial Dysbiosis in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

Dr. Kunal Dixit completed his doctoral research at the Laboratory for Bacterial Communication, where his work focused on microbiome science and the role of host-associated microbial communities in health and disease. His research interests combined classical microbiology with metagenomics and computational analysis to understand how microbial communities adapt, interact, and influence host physiology. During his Ph.D., he worked extensively on investigating the host-associated microbiome in clinical cohorts, particularly patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to identify site-specific (small intestinal, large intestinal, and stool) microbiome differences using 16S rRNA-based microbial profiling approach, along with fecal metagenomics and metabolomics, where he reported microbial signatures of NCGS, higher methanogenic archaea, differences in faecal metabolites, and lower fructan degradation capabilities in NCGS patients. His work contributed to understanding how alterations in microbial communities are linked with these conditions and how microbiome-targeted interventions may help restore the dysbiotic microbiome to achieve homeostasis.

Dr. Dixit’s research integrates molecular microbiology with computational and sequencing-based approaches. His research reflected a strong interdisciplinary orientation, combining wet-lab microbiology, microbial genomics, and bioinformatics to address biologically and clinically relevant questions. In addition to his research on examining microbial signatures associated with gastrointestinal disorders, he contributed to collaborative projects involving multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens and One Health perspectives on antimicrobial resistance. Beyond research, Dr. Dixit actively contributed to the collaborative and mentoring environment of the laboratory. His ability to bridge experimental microbiology with data-driven analysis played an important role in several interdisciplinary projects undertaken within the group.

Following his doctoral training, Dr. Kunal Dixit continued his research career internationally and is currently involved in advanced microbiome research on microbial secondary metabolites and their role in shaping the gut ecosystem.