Dr. Sanjiv K. Hyoju is a surgeon-scientist in the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago, where his research bridges microbiology, immunology, and translational models to address infection-related surgical complications such as wound infections, anastomotic leaks, organ space infections, peritonitis and sepsis. Working under the mentorship of Dr. John C. Alverdy, Dr. Hyoju has established a research program that defines how the gut microbiome, diet, and antibiotics synergize to influence infection-related complication following surgery.
Dr. Hyoju developed a novel line of inquiry that demonstrated the role of a Western type of diet on the gut microbiome such that infection-related complications occur following surgery. By developing novel surgical mouse models (anastomosis, hepatectomy, wound infection) as both surgeon and scientist, he demonstrated the mechanisms by which infection-related complications develop when mice consume a western diet compared to standard chow diets. He also demonstrated the mechanisms by which consumption of a Western diet and perioperative antibiotics promoted the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathobionts and precipitated lethal sepsis, anastomosis leakage and impaired wound healing. Building on these insights, he has leveraged the use of short-chain polyphosphates (PPi3/6) as first-in-class, non-antibiotic, anti-virulence agents that can prevent abdominal infections, anastomotic leaks and promote and enhance wound healing. His interest is in applying poly phosphates in the host-pathogen interaction to demonstrate that “molecular détente” can be achieved when there is equitable exchange of this micronutrient across microbes, species and kingdoms. This line of inquiry has led to novel discoveries in the field of cancer biology and obesity control.
Expanding beyond infection biology, Dr. Hyoju is actively investigating the gut–brain–immune axis, with a specific focus on acetylcholine- and short-chain fatty acid–mediated signaling pathways in metabolic and neuro-immune regulation. He is spearheading the development of UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO POLYPHOSPHATE RESEARCH PROGRAM; a collaborative platform aimed at driving the discovery and clinical translation of polyphosphate-based therapeutics. In parallel, he is developing a DIET-MODIFIED HUMANIZED MOUSE MODEL, designed as a next-generation translational system to study the pathogenesis of human diseases and accelerate drug discovery in clinically relevant contexts.
Through these contributions, Dr. Hyoju is shaping a multidisciplinary research agenda that unites surgical science, microbiome biology, and translational therapeutics, with the long-term goal of reducing surgical morbidity and advancing novel microbiome-informed therapies for human disease.