Ju-Hyun Ahn

Chronic inflammation reshapes the intestinal tissue microenvironment and contributes to fibrosis and colorectal cancer. The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as an important regulator of intestinal health and disease. This raises an important question: what drives the progression of chronic intestinal disease?

My research addresses this question by investigating how host–microbiome interactions reshape the intestinal microenvironment and influence disease progression. In particular, I study how persistent microbial and inflammatory signals alter host immune–stromal communication, promote fibrotic remodeling in IBD, particularly Crohn’s disease, and contribute to tumor-supportive microenvironments in colorectal cancer.

To address these questions, I use molecular and cellular approaches together with animal and organoid models, omics, and human tissue analysis.

My long-term goal is to translate these mechanistic insights into new opportunities for prevention and treatment by identifying potential therapeutic targets within the disease-associated intestinal microenvironment.