Ravinder Nagpal (a.k.a. Ravi), PhD.

Lab Director and Team Leader

A food and gut microbiologist by training, Ravi is the biome geek and fanatic front-runner of the lab. His overarching mission is to decode how our diet and nutrition regulate and modulate our gut microbial communities and how this diet-biome interaction influences our health. Ultimately, he aims to excavate novel microbiome-based targets and therapies that can help prevent/ameliorate human diseases and improve human health and wellbeing. His lab specializes in executing multi-dynamic techniques including metagenomics, metabolomics, culturomics, and bioinformatics along with in-vitro, preclinical and clinical milieus to solve intricate mysteries of the extremely diverse and dynamic microbial world dwelling inside our gut. He has a wide array of multidisciplinary collaborations with experts in nutrition sciences, microbiology, cardiovascular biology, immunology, neuroscience, aging, and sepsis to gain comprehensive understanding of the role of our gut bugs in multiple aspects of our health.

More info on his scientific background and credentials can be found here:

Kingston Wong

Postdoctoral Scholar

Kingston joined the Gut Biome Lab in Summer 2026 with a background in behavioral neurosciences. He holds a Master of Science in Applied Health Sciences and a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology from Brock University, Canada. His research is focused on uncovering biological mechanisms underlying neurobehavioral deficits induced by early pre/postnatal experiences. He currently investigates the impact of dietary interventions on the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic health, as well as how the gut-brain axis is involved in the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease.

For any queries, feel free to reach out at kw26bc@fsu.edu

Cole Patoine

Graduate Teaching Assistant & PhD Candidate

Cole graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2017 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. He was then accepted into a dietetic internship and M.S. program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. After becoming a Registered Dietitian in 2021, Cole worked in an outpatient diabetes clinic before joining The Gut Biome Lab. Cole hopes to pursue further research on the gut microbiome and its role in the development and management of diabetes.

For any queries, feel free to reach out at cjp23a@fsu.edu

Deepak Sunkavalli

Ph.D. Student

Deepak joined the Gut Biome Lab in Summer 2026 with an academic background in agricultural sciences, bioinformatics, and computational biology. He earned his B.S. in Agricultural Sciences from Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University in India and his M.S. in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology from Saint Louis University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Nutrition and Food Science at Florida State University. His research interests focus on understanding how diet, nutrition, aging, and other host and environmental factors influence the gut microbiome and its relationship with human health. His work integrates microbiome sequencing, metabolomics, bioinformatics, and statistical approaches to investigate microbial community structure, host–microbe interactions, and diet–microbiome relationships.

For any queries, feel free to reach out at ds26bg@fsu.edu

Seyram Azagloh

Ph.D. Student

Seyram graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, in 2019 with a B.S. in Chemistry before earning an MPhil in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. She later completed a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Kinesiology, where her research examined the effects of feeding status on the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for improving glycemic control. Through her academic and research training, Seyram has developed experience in nutrition, metabolic health, dietary assessment, and human participant research. She is now pursuing her doctoral training and is interested in understanding how diet, lifestyle, and the gut microbiome interact to influence metabolism and metabolic health. She hopes to further investigate nutrition–microbiome interactions and their role in the prevention and management of chronic metabolic diseases.

For any queries, feel free to reach out at sya26@fsu.edu

Joohyeong Kim

Graduate Research Assistant & MS Thesis Student

JooHyeong joined the master’s degree program in Food Science at Florida State University and became a member of the Gut Biome Lab in Fall 2025. He earned his B.S. degree in Food Science and Technology at Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea, where he also gained two years of laboratory experience focusing on microbial fermentation and functional foods. Building on this foundation, his current research interests lie in the interplay between diet, the gut microbiome, and human health, with a particular focus on metabolic conditions and disease prevention. He is especially motivated by the potential of food-derived bioactive compounds and microbiome modulation to contribute to innovative strategies for improving human health.