In July 2024, Juan D. Matute, MD, joined our team as an attending neonatologist in the Harriet and Ronald Lassin Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Assistant Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). Dr. Matute earned his medical degree from la Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia before pursuing postdoctoral training in neutrophil biology and immunology at Indiana University. He completed his Pediatrics residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, followed by a clinical fellowship in the Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program.
During his training, Dr. Matute developed a strong interest in the early-life interactions between the immune system, diet, and the intestinal microbiome, particularly after caring for patients with intestinal inflammatory conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). His dedication to understanding the mucosal immune system led him to pursue additional postdoctoral training focused on inflammatory bowel disease. Before joining our team, Dr. Matute spent seven years as a neonatologist-scientist at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School, where he advanced his research on neonatal intestinal immunity.
Now part of our team, he spearheads groundbreaking research on host-microbiota interactions and their role in diseases like NEC and obesity. Explore this Q-and-A to discover what makes his work unique.
How did you carve out this research niche?
Early in my training, I was fascinated by how newborns emerge from the sterile environment of the womb and immediately adapt to a world rich with microbes — yet most don’t develop harmful inflammation. We now understand that the intestine serves as a key interface where the immune system interacts with both microbes and diet, shaping lifelong immune responses and influencing disease risk.
Our research focuses on unraveling how the immune system, diet, and gut microbes collaborate in early life — and what happens when this delicate balance is disrupted. We are currently investigating two seemingly distinct diseases: obesity and NEC. Though different in presentation, both stem from early-life imbalances between a vulnerable host, diet, and the gut microbiota. By deciphering how disruptions in gut communication contribute to disease, we aim to develop more effective strategies for prevention and treatment.
What’s it been like getting your CHOP research lab up and running?
CHOP’s commitment to clinical and research excellence and the development of pediatrician-scientists is truly exceptional, and my clinical and research colleagues have been incredibly welcoming. Thanks to this supportive environment, my transition — both personally and professionally — has been remarkably smooth. Our N/IICU is renowned as a center that delivers top-tier clinical care while fostering groundbreaking clinical and translational research. In just my first seven months here, I’ve already begun forming exciting collaborations with colleagues at both CHOP and UPenn.
The wealth of resources available is truly extraordinary. I could spend hours describing them, beginning with the Division of Neonatology, the Department of Pediatrics, and the CHOP Research Institute.
Building on this foundation within CHOP, the Center for Fetal Research, the Immunology and Infectious Disease Research Initiative, the Center for Microbial Medicine, the PennCHOP Microbiome Center, the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling (GEM) Program, and the CHOP Biobank have all provided invaluable support for our nascent work.
Likewise, at UPenn, the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H), the Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases, and the Penn Diabetes Research Center support our new program.
What makes your research so original?
What sets our research apart is our ability to conduct detailed mechanistic studies using human samples, which directly inform our in vitro and mouse model experiments — all with a focus on early life.
Our obesity project, supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to Independence Award, addresses a growing public health crisis. Obesity rates remain high and are projected to affect nearly half of U.S. adults by 2030, with many cases originating in early childhood. Since genetic changes alone cannot explain this rapid increase, we believe environmental factors play a key role. Yet, not every child exposed to these factors develops obesity. Our goal is to identify how the intestinal host-microbiota-diet interface contributes to obesity risk in early life.
In parallel, we have launched a bench-to-bedside research program in NEC, a disease affecting nearly one-third of the premature infants referred to our N/IICU. By integrating our expertise in mucosal immunology with our unit’s unique patient populations, we can translate clinical observations into mechanistic laboratory studies, ultimately advancing strategies for NEC prevention and treatment.
What is the focus of your NEC research?
We already know that infants weighing less than 1,500 grams are at higher risk for NEC, yet only 5% to 10% actually develop the disease. What remains unclear is why some babies with all the usual risk factors never get NEC, while others develop it despite every preventive measure we take.
Our research focuses on understanding how prematurity, early-life microbial colonization, and dietary factors interact to drive excessive intestinal inflammation. By uncovering the mechanisms behind this process, we aim to develop more effective strategies for preventing and treating NEC.
What is the ultimate goal of your research?
Although our work primarily focuses on obesity and NEC, many other diseases originate from the complex interactions between the gut microbiome, diet, and the body during early life.
Our goal is to uncover the fundamental “rules” governing host-microbiome-diet communication in infancy. By understanding how these interactions function under normal conditions — and what disrupts them — we aim to develop strategies that foster lifelong health in children. In doing so, we also hope to train the next generation of scientists and physician-investigators dedicated to advancing this field.
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In July 2024, Juan D. Matute, MD, joined our team as an attending neonatologist in the Harriet and Ronald Lassin Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Assistant Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). Dr. Matute earned his medical degree from la Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia before pursuing postdoctoral training in neutrophil biology and immunology at Indiana University. He completed his Pediatrics residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, followed by a clinical fellowship in the Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program.
During his training, Dr. Matute developed a strong interest in the early-life interactions between the immune system, diet, and the intestinal microbiome, particularly after caring for patients with intestinal inflammatory conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). His dedication to understanding the mucosal immune system led him to pursue additional postdoctoral training focused on inflammatory bowel disease. Before joining our team, Dr. Matute spent seven years as a neonatologist-scientist at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School, where he advanced his research on neonatal intestinal immunity.
Now part of our team, he spearheads groundbreaking research on host-microbiota interactions and their role in diseases like NEC and obesity. Explore this Q-and-A to discover what makes his work unique.
How did you carve out this research niche?
Early in my training, I was fascinated by how newborns emerge from the sterile environment of the womb and immediately adapt to a world rich with microbes — yet most don’t develop harmful inflammation. We now understand that the intestine serves as a key interface where the immune system interacts with both microbes and diet, shaping lifelong immune responses and influencing disease risk.
Our research focuses on unraveling how the immune system, diet, and gut microbes collaborate in early life — and what happens when this delicate balance is disrupted. We are currently investigating two seemingly distinct diseases: obesity and NEC. Though different in presentation, both stem from early-life imbalances between a vulnerable host, diet, and the gut microbiota. By deciphering how disruptions in gut communication contribute to disease, we aim to develop more effective strategies for prevention and treatment.
What’s it been like getting your CHOP research lab up and running?
CHOP’s commitment to clinical and research excellence and the development of pediatrician-scientists is truly exceptional, and my clinical and research colleagues have been incredibly welcoming. Thanks to this supportive environment, my transition — both personally and professionally — has been remarkably smooth. Our N/IICU is renowned as a center that delivers top-tier clinical care while fostering groundbreaking clinical and translational research. In just my first seven months here, I’ve already begun forming exciting collaborations with colleagues at both CHOP and UPenn.
The wealth of resources available is truly extraordinary. I could spend hours describing them, beginning with the Division of Neonatology, the Department of Pediatrics, and the CHOP Research Institute.
Building on this foundation within CHOP, the Center for Fetal Research, the Immunology and Infectious Disease Research Initiative, the Center for Microbial Medicine, the PennCHOP Microbiome Center, the Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling (GEM) Program, and the CHOP Biobank have all provided invaluable support for our nascent work.
Likewise, at UPenn, the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H), the Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases, and the Penn Diabetes Research Center support our new program.
What makes your research so original?
What sets our research apart is our ability to conduct detailed mechanistic studies using human samples, which directly inform our in vitro and mouse model experiments — all with a focus on early life.
Our obesity project, supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to Independence Award, addresses a growing public health crisis. Obesity rates remain high and are projected to affect nearly half of U.S. adults by 2030, with many cases originating in early childhood. Since genetic changes alone cannot explain this rapid increase, we believe environmental factors play a key role. Yet, not every child exposed to these factors develops obesity. Our goal is to identify how the intestinal host-microbiota-diet interface contributes to obesity risk in early life.
In parallel, we have launched a bench-to-bedside research program in NEC, a disease affecting nearly one-third of the premature infants referred to our N/IICU. By integrating our expertise in mucosal immunology with our unit’s unique patient populations, we can translate clinical observations into mechanistic laboratory studies, ultimately advancing strategies for NEC prevention and treatment.
What is the focus of your NEC research?
We already know that infants weighing less than 1,500 grams are at higher risk for NEC, yet only 5% to 10% actually develop the disease. What remains unclear is why some babies with all the usual risk factors never get NEC, while others develop it despite every preventive measure we take.
Our research focuses on understanding how prematurity, early-life microbial colonization, and dietary factors interact to drive excessive intestinal inflammation. By uncovering the mechanisms behind this process, we aim to develop more effective strategies for preventing and treating NEC.
What is the ultimate goal of your research?
Although our work primarily focuses on obesity and NEC, many other diseases originate from the complex interactions between the gut microbiome, diet, and the body during early life.
Our goal is to uncover the fundamental “rules” governing host-microbiome-diet communication in infancy. By understanding how these interactions function under normal conditions — and what disrupts them — we aim to develop strategies that foster lifelong health in children. In doing so, we also hope to train the next generation of scientists and physician-investigators dedicated to advancing this field.
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Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU)