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Author: Julie B. O'Brien

Q&A with Christian John Lillis, CEO and Co-Founder of the Peggy Lillis Foundation

Written by Julie B. O'Brien on . Posted in News, OpenDialog.

OpenDialog July 2026 – Issue Three

This month’s Q&A features the CEO and Co-Founder of the Peggy Lillis Foundation (PLF), the leading nonprofit organization that is building a nationwide C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) awareness movement by educating the public, empowering advocates, and shaping policy. He is Christian John Lillis, a tireless advocate, fundraiser and thought leader; and most critically, Christian is the eldest son of Peggy Lillis who died tragically at the age of 56 from C. diff.

Q&A with Dr. Alexander Khoruts, Director of the Microbiota Therapeutics Program, UMN

Written by Julie B. O'Brien on . Posted in News, OpenDialog.

OpenDialog May 2026 – Issue Two

Patient outcomes may depend on science that’s moving faster than any of us can track. OpenBiome Foundation’s monthly newsletter cuts through the noise – delivering focused conversations in Q&A format with leading researchers and clinicians on the microbiome discoveries most relevant to your practice. No jargon, no fluff. Just the insights worth your time.

This second edition features an innovative leader in microbiome discoveries and for C. difficile and its treatments. He is Dr. Alexander Khoruts, Director of the Microbiota Therapeutics Program, UMN.

OpenBiome Foundation Announces New Board Leadership

Written by Julie B. O'Brien on . Posted in News.

Today, the OpenBiome Foundation announced the unanimous election of its Board Leadership for a three-year term, effective immediately. The officers, representing a cross section of innovators – from the clinical, patient, technology and financial fields – will guide the Foundation in its mission to expand patient access to microbiome therapies and drive scientific discoveries that will shape the future of health. 

Science in the Field: Dr. Walter Sandoval’s Mission to Map Rural Microbiomes in Paraguay

Written by Julie B. O'Brien on . Posted in Field Notes, OpenDialog.

What motivated you to study the microbiome in rural Paraguay? 

Only recently were we able to decipher the Paraguayan gut microbiome — and that research was limited to urban populations in the Asunción metro area. Until then, no other work had been done with a Paraguayan population, meaning Paraguay was vastly underrepresented in microbiome studies. Since microbiomes can vary significantly across populations, the next logical step in my goal to put Paraguay on the microbiome map was to begin studying rural communities.