Karen Mancera Azamar, a Ph.D. student in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, has been awarded a prestigious fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Basic Microbiology and Infectious Disease (BMID) T32 Training Grant. She is conducting her research under the mentorship of Dr. Ana Maria Porras.

Mancera Azamar’s research focuses on understanding how certain gut bacteria contribute to the breakdown of intestinal extracellular matrix (ECM) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Using high-throughput assays, she aims to measure ECM degradation by bacteria grown in disease-like environments. Her work also incorporates in vitro models to assess human host responses, including inflammation and impaired epithelial cell barriers. These studies seek to provide new insights into microbe-ECM interactions and their role in intestinal tissue remodeling.

The NIH BMID T32 Training Grant supports predoctoral students pursuing research in microbiology and infectious diseases. With infectious diseases continuing to pose a significant global health challenge, the program prepares researchers to investigate disease mechanisms and develop new methods for detection, treatment, and prevention.

Mancera Azamar’s achievement highlights the University of Florida’s commitment to training the next generation of biomedical researchers. Through partnerships with NIH and leading faculty mentors, UF BME students are advancing knowledge at the intersection of engineering and human health.