Meet the team
Breen-Lyles earned her bachelor of science in chemistry and biology from Ripon College in Wisconsin. As an undergraduate, she studied enzymes called electron transfer flavoproteins. She also worked as an emergency medical technician.
In Dr. Grover's lab, Breen-Lyles manages both sponsored and investigator-initiated studies. She works in protocol development, participant recruitment and regulatory maintenance. She is the lead coordinator to synchronize and coordinate study tasks among various teams, sponsors and overseeing entities. She has worked with patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), cyclic vomiting syndrome, functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis and fecal incontinence.
Dr. Edwinson earned his bachelor of science in microbiology and biotechnology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Then he earned his doctorate in molecular pathogenesis from North Dakota State University. He is interested in understanding relationships between hosts and microbiota and how these relationships affect gastrointestinal health and physiology.
Dr. Edwinson has several publications on the role of intestinal microbiota in regulating host proteases and intestinal permeability in IBS. These publications also show how microbiota influence host gene expression in vivo using a humanization model of germ-free mice. He remains curious and excited to explore interactions between microbes and their hosts, focusing on microbial metabolites composition and diversity, and their impact on gut health.
Keehn earned an associate of science degree from Rochester Community and Technical College. She received her Certificate of Radiography from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and worked in radiology for 12 years before joining Dr. Grover's lab.
Keehn manages both sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials, as well as U.S. Food and Drug Administration-regulated studies. She works in protocol development, budget development, participant recruitment and regulatory maintenance. She has worked with patients with IBS, systemic sclerosis and Campylobacter enterocolitis.
Patraw earned a bachelor of science in health science from the University of Minnesota Rochester. As an undergraduate, he did his internship in a Mayo Clinic virology lab. In Dr. Grover's lab, Patraw studies macrophage-driven pathophysiology in murine models of delayed gastric emptying. He supports postdoctoral fellows' experiments and leads gastric emptying measurements.
Rao earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur, India. In Dr. Grover's lab, Rao studies the use of artificial intelligence to better understand and treat neurogastrointestinal disorders. His academic vision is to pursue an internal medicine residency followed by a gastroenterology fellowship.