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Dr. Khoruts is a physician-scientist. He has begun his research career as a cellular immunologist but shifted his focus in 2000s to development of microbial therapeutics targeting the gut microbiome. His group was the first to demonstrate engraftment of gut microbes from donor stool into a patient suffering with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections. His group developed the first standardized product of fecal microbiota for transplantation and established the first volunteer stool donor program in the world. His clinical practice is focused on treating patients with complex C. difficile infections.
Dr. Khoruts is the Director of the University of Minnesota Microbiota Therapeutics Program. The Program manufactures diff erent therapeutic formulations of fecal microbiota using Good Manufacturing Protocols. These are being tested in multiple clinical trials through a network of academic collaborators. Some of the indications include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, optimization of cancer therapies, food allergies, antibiotic resistance, hepatic encephalopathy, autism, and others. His main research focus is on development new microbiota-based therapeutics and their dosing regimens using a pharmacologic framework, which includes characterization of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Dr. Khoruts practices general gastroenterology with a focus on complex C. diffi cile infections. He performs routine endoscopic procedures, including upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, and video-capsule endoscopy.
Dr. Khoruts’ main academic focus is research. He is a member of the Center for Immunology, Cancer Center, and BioTechnology Institute. He is a faculty member in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Graduate Program.