Jacob Cao

Hey! My name is Jacob and I'm a third year undergraduate studying Molecular & Cell Biology and Nutrition Science. My research interest stems from my own life-threatening food allergy and currently involves understanding the connection between diet, the gut microbiome, and digestive diseases. 

My journey began in high school where I interned in the Berdnikovs Lab at the Feinberg School of Medicine, broadly studying the factors that predispose individuals to allergic disease. I returned to Feinberg in the summer after my freshman year of college as a Roy Patterson Scholar, where I explored the inflammatory effects of common sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners on esophageal and duodenal epithelial cells. This experience ignited my interest in the complex interplay between diet and gut health, leading me to reach out to the Penn Center for Nutritional Science and Medicine (PenNSAM). Currently, my project in the Wu Lab (Division of Gastroenterology) investigates the role of dietary carbohydrates in mediating antibiotic resistance. 

Outside of research, you can find me cheering for Manchester United every Saturday, watching food videos, and planning events as a member of the executive board for the pre-med fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon. Mentorship has been pivotal in my journey, opening many doors and helping me dodge more than a few pitfalls along the way. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or just to chat! I’m excited to pass on what I’ve learned, whether it’s navigating research or just surviving the premed life with a smile.

Research Positions/Programs:

• Perelman School of Medicine, Wu Lab | Undergraduate Researcher, Philadelphia, PA (September 2023 – Present) 
• Undergraduate Student Scholars Program (USSP), Wu Lab | Undergraduate Researcher, Philadelphia, PA (June 2024 – August 2024)
• Roy Patterson Allergy-Immunology Fellowship, Berdnikovs Lab | Research Fellow, Chicago, IL (June 2023 – August 2023)
• Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Berdnikovs Lab | Summer Intern, Chicago, IL (July 2021 – August 2022) 

Awards

• American Gastroenterological Association Young Guts Scholar (Spring 2024)
• Pincus-Magaziner Family Undergraduate Research Grant Recipient (Spring 2024)