Dr. Hampton-Marcell is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago where he leads a research lab studying gut microbiomes. His work aims to understand the relationship between the gut microbiome and physiological changes induced by acute and chronic forms of exercise. He highlights the functional potential of the gut microbiome and the fact that it exceeds that of even the human genome. He hopes to leverage that functional potential to provide insight on ways of preventing disease and improving performance. In one of his lab’s most recent publications, they report microbiome and other physiological changes of an individual who made a 107 day swim across the Pacific Ocean.