International Scholar Speaker Series Spring 2026
International Scholar Speaker Series: “Trust Your Gut”: The Science Behind the Saying
Date: April 15, 2026, from 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Zoom link: go.rutgers.edu/scholarspeakerspring2026
Join us for this discussion with international postdocs Dr. Lucia Herrera, Dr. Rachana Rao Battaje and Dr. Liisa Veerus, who will present their research on gut microbiota, focusing on the effects of psychoactive treatments and use of antibiotics on human gut health, as well as the impact of gut health on reproductive systems in humans.
Drawing on their expertise across three different Rutgers departments, they will highlight how Rutgers University is at the forefront of delivering groundbreaking research on this important topic. This interactive session will also provide opportunities for the audience to learn how to best support their own gut health in everyday life.
Presenters:
Lucia Guadalupe Ximena Herrera, PhD, is a Post-doctoral Associate in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience (SAS) under the direction of Professor Santiago Cuesta. Dr. Herrera’s research investigates how adolescent psychostimulant exposure influences susceptibility to intestinal inflammatory disease and its potential impact on brain maturation and neuroimmune signaling. Prior to her position at Rutgers, Dr. Herrera completed her PhD at the National University of Córdoba in Argentina, where she studied how unhealthy diets can trigger inflammation that affects the brain and memory and explored potential protective strategies to prevent these effects. In the future, she aims to deepen understanding of how early environmental and pharmacological exposures affect brain–gut–immune interactions and to help guide preventive approaches that reduce long-term disease risk.
Rachana Rao Battaje, PhD, is a Post-doctoral Associate in the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM). She researches the influence of the nutrient environment on bacterial growth, physiology, and antibiotic response. Before joining Rutgers, Dr. Battaje completed her PhD from IIT Bombay, India, studying bacterial cell division machinery and its potential to be a novel anti-bacterial target. In the future, she aspires to contribute to mitigating the antimicrobial resistance crisis by innovating strategies to improve antibiotic efficacy and discovering new microbiome-friendly antibiotic alternatives.
Liisa Veerus, DPhil, is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), working in the laboratory of CABM Director Dr. Martin Blaser. Dr. Veerus’s research focuses on the associations between microbiome and reproductive health. She integrates both laboratory and computational research. Prior to joining Rutgers, Dr. Veerus earned her BSc in Biology from Imperial College London, where she studied bacterial invasion ecology. An exchange year in France, exploring reproductive behavior in fruit flies, sparked a lasting fascination with the intersection of microbes and reproduction. This dual interest ultimately shaped her doctoral work at the University of Oxford, where Dr. Veerus investigated the reproductive tract microbiota of the red junglefowl, the wild ancestor of domesticated chicken, and its evolutionary implications.