Smita Ghare is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Louisville. Dr. Ghare’s academic research focuses on understanding the toxic and detrimental effects of alcohol, HIV-1 infection, and aging, particularly in the gut, liver and immune system. Apart from preclinical studies, she also actively involved in funded collaborations outside UofL, conducting clinical studies in people with HIV infection (PWH) and elderly people who develop various neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and related Dementias. Dr. Ghare is a Technical Director for the NIH funded Integrated Metagenomics & Metabolomics Core (IMMC core) at the University of Louisville for human studies.