My lab has been studying gastrointestinal biology since 1979, gastric colonization since 1986, GI tract cancers since 1990, and the human microbiome since 2002. We conducted studies linking H. pylori to gastric cancer, and its loss to esophageal adenocarcinoma, which brought us into the microbiome. Early 16S rRNA surveys of the esophagus, stomach, lung, and skin established the baseline present in health that then were used to assess pathologic relationships. Nearly 20 years ago, we began to hypothesize that some of the diseases of modernization, including obesity, diabetes, certain estrogen-driven malignancies and immunologic disorders, were due to changes in the ancestral human microbiome. We have had especial emphasis on the role of the GI tract microbiome in early life development, with consequences for how normal metabolism and immunity develop. Because of widespread antibiotic use, especially in young children, we have explored in animal models their role in perturbing the microbiome, and the downstream effects. In recent years, using experimental models, we have been exploring microbiome changes that could be fueling the metabolic and inflammatory disease epidemics of asthma, obesity, diabetes, kidney stones, neurological disorders, and estrogen-driven diseases. We use both mouse models and analysis of human samples to understand underlying mechanisms. I have a long history of teaching and training a diverse group of students and post-doctoral fellows the principles of scientific design and data analysis, using such experimental systems, as well as communicating findings orally and in writing.