I am a microbial ecologist with expertise in characterizing the vaginal microbiome through multi-omics, bioinformatics, and experimental modeling. My research seeks to uncover how the cervicovaginal microbiome and its molecular microenvironment influence women's reproductive health, with a particular focus on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). My lab integrates multi-omic, computational, and molecular approaches to define the microbial and host mechanisms that shape susceptibility to pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis, while also addressing the persistent challenge of BV recurrence. Ultimately, our goal is to leverage these insights to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders affecting women's genital health.

I am a Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. I am affiliated with the Institute for Genome Sciences, where the laboratory resides. We are also part of the the Center for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation.

I received my Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, with specialized training in marine microbiome analyses. I pursued postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Jacques Ravel and then joined the faculty at the Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. 

Email: jholm@som.umaryland.edu