Bio

Dr. Bat-Erdene Judger

Dr. Bat-Erdene Judger is an Instructor in Immunology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Senior Staff Scientist at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH). With over fifteen years of experience in immunology, biotechnology, microbiology, molecular biology, and protein biochemistry, Dr. Judger has cultivated a diverse and comprehensive skillset across these disciplines.

After earning his medical degree, Dr. Judger worked extensively in the biotechnology industry and academic research labs across several countries before pursuing a PhD in biotechnology and microbiology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. This experience further developed his expertise in the field.

Dr. Judger’s research focuses on intestinal immunity, encompassing both adaptive and innate immune responses, as well as microbiota-derived products. His interests include developing novel therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases such as IBD, IBS, food allergies, and cholestatic fibrotic diseases (PSC, PBC, NASH), along with other immuno-metabolic and autoimmune disorders.

During his postdoctoral research, Dr. Judger explored the interactions between gut commensal/pathogenic bacteria and intestinal epithelial cells, with an emphasis on immune and metabolic responses. This research led to significant discoveries, including the identification of a novel mechanism by which microbiota-derived acetate activates immune and metabolic responses in enteroendocrine cells (Immunity, 2021), and a unique bacterial quorum-sensing system that modulates host mucosal immunity by influencing enteroendocrine, steroid hormone, and neurotransmitter signaling (Cell Reports, 2022).

As a junior faculty member in the Immunology Department, Dr. Judger has investigated the microbiota-intestinal epithelial cell axis, particularly Tuft and Goblet cells, in promoting Treg cell-driven anti-allergic immune responses in food allergies (In Revision). Additionally, his work includes the study of Treg cell biology, with a focus on identifying novel transcriptional complexes that regulate Treg cell function (Science Immunology, 2022).

Dr. Judger’s contributions have significantly impacted both the scientific community and Harvard Medical School, and he remains committed to advancing research in immunology and microbiology.