Introduction to Microbiome Medicine

Dr. Jenessa Winston is an Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Biology from University of Florida in 2007. She then received her veterinary degree from the North Carolina State University in 2011. She went on to complete a rotating small animal internship and residency training in small animal internal medicine at NC State achieving board certification, as a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, in 2015. As a Clinical Investigator and NIH T32 fellow at NC State, Dr. Winston completed a PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences with an Infectious Disease concentration in 2019. Her dissertation focused on defining the dynamics between the gut microbiota, microbial derived secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid, and Clostridioides difficile pathogenesis.

As a clinician scientist, Dr. Winston’s primary research areas of interest include microbe-host interactions during health and disease. She has a special interest in microbially derived bile acids and rational manipulation of microbial ecosystems including interventions such as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Since starting at the OSU, Dr. Winston has launched the Companion Animal Fecal Bank, which serves as a unique research platform to accelerate our study and translation of microbial community sciences into safe and effective clinical applications. Currently, there are 4 ongoing veterinary FMT clinical trials. Dr. Winston is also a NIH NIAID K08 award recipient and her research focuses on the impact of inflammation induced alterations to microbially derived bile acids on susceptibility and severity of Clostridioides difficile infection.

Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), originally from New Jersey, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing a small animal rotating internship at the University of Georgia, he finished his neurology/neurosurgery residency at Washington State University. There he developed a love for neuroimaging and the development of a novel neuronavigation device. After joining the faculty at the University of Missouri, he applied these interests to develop therapies for both animals and children with the rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Batten disease (neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis) and was awarded the young investigator award by the Batten Disease Support & Research Association for his work. He then moved to St Louis, Missouri, where he practiced for several years and developed the first hybrid private practice/academic neurology residency program, which continues today.

He currently practices at Charlotte Animal Referral & Emergency in North Carolina. In addition to his clinical and teaching responsibilities, Wininger owns and operates 3D Veterinary Printing, LLC, which creates anatomic models and customized surgical tools to aid veterinary surgeons and neurosurgeons around the world. He also is the founding treasurer of the Veterinary Neurosurgical Society, an active member of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and adjunct professor for the University of Missouri. In his spare time, Wininger enjoys scuba diving, endurance sports, and exploring new places through their food.