Dr. Gill’s career goal is to investigate the molecular and microbial mechanisms leading to spondyloarthritis pathogenesis. Spondyloarthritis is an umbrella term used for a group of distinct disorders such as axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis acute anterior uveitis and gut inflammation. These disorders share common articular and extra-articular manifestations and share a strong association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27. At present, her group is investigating the relationship between the gut microbes (16S, IgA and IgG sequencing) and host immune response (CITE-seq) in HLA-B27 positive patients with various spondyloarthritis.

Furthermore, the Gill Lab is also characterizing the local and systemic disease pathogenesis of axSpA through examination the of small molecules representing functional activity of both microbiome and the host (metabolome). Efforts are underway to identify genes in addition to HLA-B27 that may contribute to development of SpA. Since many ankylosing spondylitis patients present subclinical gut inflammation, she is working towards the development of intestinal organoids – a novel tool in epithelial cell biology study – to decipher the molecular mechanisms leading to HLA-B27-associated loss of gut epithelial barrier function. These organoids will also help develop better understanding of the interactions between host and gut microbes.

Together, these approaches will contribute towards our understanding of SpA and to generate new therapeutic targets for the treatment or prevention of SpA.