SUMMARY
Mike G. Kattah, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist in gastroenterology whose research focuses on inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, as well as immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy enteritis. His laboratory investigates how epithelial injury is initiated and sustained by immune, stromal and microbial signals, and why some patients develop refractory inflammation or do not respond to specific therapies. The lab integrates retrospective and prospective patient cohorts with single-cell and spatial multi-omics, advanced tissue imaging, and human organoid, stromal and co-culture models to define actionable cellular pathways. The overarching goal is to develop biomarkers that guide individualized treatment and to identify epithelium-protective therapeutic strategies.
Focus areas
- Single-cell and spatial multi-omics in inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Kattah uses single-cell and spatial profiling approaches in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease to map epithelial, myeloid, stromal and lymphocyte networks that drive tissue injury and treatment response.
- Mechanisms of epithelial cell death and cytoprotection. Dr. Kattah's lab develops mechanistic models to define genetic pathways that regulate intestinal epithelial survival and microbial sensing, using inducible mouse genetics alongside patient-derived intestinal organoids.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced enterocolitis and CAR-T enteritis. Dr. Kattah and his team study resident memory T-cell, myeloid and stromal dysregulation in cancer patients who develop treatment-related enterocolitis, with the goal of identifying steroid-sparing, mechanism-based therapies.
- Translation and precision medicine. Dr. Kattah's lab integrates endoscopic sampling, clinical phenotyping and high-dimensional tissue profiling to predict treatment response, stratify risk and identify new therapeutic targets for refractory enterocolitis.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Kattah's research focuses on helping people living with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and bowel inflammation caused by cancer immunotherapy. By closely examining small tissue samples from the intestine, his team works to understand what is causing damage to the gut lining. This helps them learn why certain treatments work well for some patients but not for others. Over time, these insights may lead to better tests that help healthcare professionals choose the right medication sooner, reduce the need to try many treatments and limit side effects. The long‑term goal is to develop new treatments that protect the intestine and reduce the need for steroids.
Professional highlights
- Member, Editorial board, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2025-present.
- Councilor, Immunology, Microbiology & Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Section, AGA Institute Council, American Gastroenterological Association, 2020-present.
- Principal investigator, R01 Research Project Grant, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 2025-2029.
- Innovator Award, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, 2023-2026.
- Intestine lead, Tabula Sapiens Consortium, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, 2025.
- University of California, San Francisco:
- Inflammatory bowel disease lead, AutoImmunoProfiler Consortium, 2022-2025.
- Endowed chair holder, John V. Carbone, M.D., Endowed Chair in Medicine, 2020-2025.
- Young Physician-Scientist Award, American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2021.