Fellows Research, Prevent & Treat.

Become a GI fellow at UNM. Work alongside experts who are leading the way in preventing and treating digestive diseases.

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505-272-4961

Our Research Focus Areas

Mucosal immunology and gut barrier function
Environmental pollutants and GI health (microplastics, heavy metals)
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and metabolic syndrome
Gut microbiota, SIBO, and functional GI disorders
Host-gut bacterial interactions in IBS
GI cancer prevention and early detection
Clinical and translational endoscopy research

Faculty Research Labs

Castillo Lab – Mucosal Immunology & Environmental GI Health

Dr. Eliseo Castillo, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Director of Gastroenterology Research at UNM. A major focus of his lab is understanding the interaction between the gut microbiota, intestinal epithelium, and the mucosal immune system during both health and disease — including IBD and fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The Castillo lab is currently funded by the NIH/NIEHS to examine the effects of environmental particulates — specifically microplastics (NIH/NIEHS R01 ES032037) and heavy metals from abandoned mines (NIH/NIEHS P42 ES025589) — on the mucosal immune system and gut microbiota, approaching these environmental problems from both an immunological and gut physiological perspective.

Dr. Castillo has received the 2023 Faculty Research Excellence Award for Junior Faculty and was selected as a KL2 Scholar for UNM Health Sciences Center's Clinical and Translational Science Center. He also serves as Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Key projects include:

Microplastics and the gut immune system

Dr. Castillo and his team focus on what microplastics are doing inside the body — specifically to the gastrointestinal tract and the gut immune system. Research has found that macrophages that encounter microplastics have their function altered and release inflammatory molecules, changing cellular metabolism in ways that can affect inflammatory responses. More recently, the lab has shown that microplastics can travel from the gut to the tissues of the kidney, liver, and brain.

Diemicroplastics and bone homeostasis

Research from the lab demonstrates that dietary microplastics engage gut mechanosensory-endocrine signaling in ways that may disrupt bone health — a novel and significant finding with broad public health implications.

Macrophage and intestinal epithelial cell biology in IBD

The lab continues to investigate how macrophages and intestinal epithelial cells function and interact in the gut during inflammatory disease states, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets.

Lin Lab – Gut Microbiota, IBS & Functional GI Disorders

Dr. Henry Lin specializes in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders. His team leads an innovative bench-to-bedside translational research program in host-gut bacterial interactions. As an international expert in gut bacteria, Dr. Lin also serves on numerous scientific committees overseeing gastroenterology research worldwide.

Key projects include:

SIBO and IBS

Dr. Lin's group has been at the forefront of establishing the relationship between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and IBS, demonstrating that the majority of IBS patients harbor excess bacteria in the small intestine and that targeted antibiotic therapy can significantly reduce symptoms including bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Breath testing and gut microbiota diagnostics

The lab has contributed extensively to the science of hydrogen and methane breath testing as a non-invasive window into gut bacterial activity, helping establish consensus diagnostic criteria now used internationally.

Host-gut bacterial interactions

Ongoing translational work investigates how specific bacterial species in the gut communicate with the intestinal lining and immune system, with the goal of identifying novel microbial targets for IBS and functional GI disorders.

Fellow Led Research

Research is a core pillar of the UNM Gastroenterology Fellowship. All fellows actively participate in the research process and are exposed to a broad spectrum of GI and liver diseases through their clinical rotations at UNM Hospital, the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, and Sandoval Regional Medical Center. Fellows with a strong interest in research may apply for a research track, which provides 18 months of dedicated protected research time. NIH

The fellowship program actively encourages abstract submission and conference presentation, including at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) — the premier national GI conference. Fellows who submit abstracts receive financial support, and those who deliver oral presentations receive additional recognition and funding through an educational account. NIH

Fellow research at UNM spans a wide range of topics including:

Endoscopic quality metrics and procedural outcomes
IBD management and treatment response
Liver disease in underserved New Mexico populations
Case reports and clinical series in advanced endoscopy
GI manifestations of systemic disease

Collaborate with Us

We welcome collaboration with investigators at UNM and at institutions across the region. If you are interested in partnering with the UNM Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology on a research project, please contact Dr. Eliseo Castillo, PhD, Director of Gastroenterology Research.

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Prospective Fellows

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Patients

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Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Division Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Gulshan Parasher, MD
Department of Internal Medicine

1 University of New Mexico
MSC 10 5550
Email: GParasher@salud.unm.edu
Phone: 505-272-4961