My lab experience at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), in Luxembourg – Lorenzo Cortelazzi

I got the opportunity to do my 3rd lab rotation at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), in Luxembourg.

PI of the laboratory: Prof. Mahesh Desai

The lab focuses on investigating how modern dietary habits—particularly low dietary fiber intake—shape the gut microbiome and modulate immune responses, influencing susceptibility to enteric infections and autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases and allergies.

My experience & learnings:

During my final laboratory rotation, I had the opportunity to join the Nutrition, Microbiome, and Immunity Laboratory at LIH, deepening my interest in the complex dialogue between the gut microbiota and the immune system.

I was especially intrigued by the research on Akkermansia muciniphila, a mucin-degrading bacterium whose expansion in low-fiber conditions is linked to impaired gut barrier integrity and enhanced immune activation, contributing to food allergy phenotypes.

This experience strengthened my foundation in nutritional immunology and further consolidated my ambition to pursue a career as a physician-scientist, integrating clinical medicine with translational research.

Acknowledgement:
I sincerely thank the Virgilio Program for this opportunity. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Mahesh Desai and the entire laboratory team for their guidance and support, and to Prof.ssa Maria Rescigno for recommending this laboratory and encouraging me to pursue this experience. I would also like to acknowledge Fondazione Vollaro for their generous support, which makes these international opportunities possible.