With Researcher Spotlights, the Microbial Systems Initiative aims to introduce you to the breadth and diversity of research interests and potential growth opportunities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. We hope that by highlighting both the researchers and their research, we can help you to learn more about and connect with your colleagues to enhance multidisciplinary research and education in microbial sciences here at Illinois.
Maria Elisa Caetano-Silva, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Integrative Microbiota & Physiology
Department of Health and Kinesiology
Maria Elisa Caetano-Silva is currently a postdoctoral associate in Integrative Microbiota & Physiology under Jacob Allen in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Her work explores the intersection of psychological stress, epithelial ROS signaling, and their impact on mucosal dysfunction and colitis predisposition. She earned her PhD in Food and Nutrition from the University of Campinas, including a stint at the University of Valencia, Spain, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Food Science from the University of São Paulo and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal. With over a decade of experience in research spanning food science, neuroimmunology, and integrative microbiota, Caetano-Silva is deeply passionate about advancing science in these interdisciplinary fields.
Do you have a personal story to share or path that led to your interest in this area of study?
I have been fascinated by the microbiome and its interactions with dietary compounds for a long time. My background is in Food Science and Nutrition, and this interest in studying the microbiome first sparked during my undergraduate studies in Food Science, where I started learning how deeply those small creatures could affect our metabolism and homeostasis. However, I didn't have the opportunity to delve into it until I began my postdoc at the University of Illinois.
Interestingly, I initially came to the University of Illinois from Brazil to pursue postdoc research completely unrelated to microbes. However, as I completed my project, I was invited to stay and join an exciting project focused on understanding the role of a specific receptor for microbial-derived short-chain fatty acids in communicating with the brain. This experience reignited my profound desire to study the microbiome, leading me to join the Allen Lab in the Department of Health and Kinesiology to delve deeper into this field.
Currently, I have been studying the underlying mechanisms by which psychological stress disrupts the intestinal epithelium and induces shifts in the microbiome. Throughout these experiences, I have become increasingly confident that my future research will continue to focus on microbes, as I am passionate about unraveling their complex role in human health.
How will your work help to improve society or reach people?
This is a great question, since that's always been a driving force in the decisions of which research project I would work on: how can my work benefit society. I am currently working on an exciting project that focuses on understanding the mechanisms of host-microbe interactions in response to psychological stress. This brain-gut microbiota axis involved in this context is particularly relevant as it has been pointed out as an emerging hallmark and potential target for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a growing global health issue, which etiology remains unclear. While significant progress has been made in identifying genetic factors associated with IBD, our understanding of environmental influences, such as psychological stress, remains limited.
In a long-term, this research has the potential to improve the lives of individuals affected by IBD by offering insights into how stress management strategies and other interventions could be utilized to reduce disease flares and improve overall health outcomes. Additionally, this work has broader implications for understanding the role of the gut microbiota in this context, which may inform future research and therapeutic approaches for a range of stress-induced conditions beyond IBD.
How does being part of the microbial systems community (MSI) impact your research?
Given the vast impact of the microbiome on our health, in so many different biological systems, and the countless possibilities to access its impacts, an interdisciplinary approach in studying it, is mandatory. Even though I am new to the MSI, what I value most about being part of it is the encouragement and support it provides for this interdisciplinary approach, providing a collaborative research environment where I can interact with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines who share a common interest in microbial systems. It is not uncommon that one’s research overlaps with areas that are not their expertise, and it is good to count on a strong community that can bring new perspectives and foster fruitful collaborations.
Do you want to tell us about any projects or activities that you are particularly excited about right now?
I'm really excited about being involved in so many different projects right now. One of the projects I'm particularly passionate about, as I mentioned earlier, is the one on the effects of psychological stress on the epithelial physiology and microbiome, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this research can lead us.
However, beyond this main project I have been working on, I'm thrilled about being part of a research team where we share ideas and discuss future possibilities together. This collaborative environment is incredibly inspiring to me. What I love about being involved in multiple projects is how they can all come together and merge in unexpected ways. Even though each project has its own specific aims and goals, I often find interfaces among them that lead to new insights and ideas.
All the projects I have been involved with have a microbiome aspect to them, and I find it incredibly exciting how they can be so interconnected. I also love how new, exciting findings can alter the course of our research as we move forward, opening many different paths to follow.
