Martin J. Blaser, MD, is one of the world’s leading physician-scientists in microbiology, infectious diseases, and the human microbiome. He serves as the Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome at Rutgers University, where he also serves as Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and as the Director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. Dr. Blaser’s groundbreaking research has illuminated how changes in the human microbiome — particularly through the use of antibiotics — affect health, immunity, and the development of chronic diseases.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Blaser has authored 700 original scientific articles and is recognized as a pioneer in the field of microbiome science. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and a former President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. His widely acclaimed book, Missing Microbes, translated into 20 languages, brought public attention to the critical role of the loss of microbial diversity in human health. In 2015, Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Blaser served for more than 12 years as Chair of the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, where he also founded the NYU Human Microbiome Program. His earlier research has focused extensively on Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that inhabits the human stomach, and its complex roles in both disease and protection. Through this work, he has helped reshape understanding of the dynamic relationship between humans and their resident microbes, particularly in the context of antibiotic use and its long-term consequences for human biology.

Dr. Blaser has trained and mentored generations of physicians and scientists and continues to lead research that integrates microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, and gastroenterology. His honors include election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, receipt of the Robert Koch Gold Medal, and recognition with numerous lifetime achievement awards, and leadership roles on advisory panels in the United States and internationally.