Krishna Rao

 Krishna Rao
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Medical School
University of Michigan
Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Infectious Diseases
1150 W. Medical Center Drive, MSRB I Rm 1510B
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Krishna Rao
Krishna Rao
Associate Professor
  • About
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  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications

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    • About

    I am a physician scientist whose clinical, administrative, and research interests focus on healthcare-associated infections and the gut microbiome. I am Director of Research for our Division of Infectious Diseases, and my research aims to use biomarkers and statistical modeling to better understand disease processes and predict clinical outcomes. Through interdisciplinary team science, I study C. difficile, multidrug-resistant organisms such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the gut microbiome's role in health and disease.

    Links
    • ORCiD

    Qualifications
    • Fellowship
      University of Michigan, Infectious Diseases, Ann Arbor, United States
      2011 - 2013
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • Residency
      University of Michigan, Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, Ann Arbor, United States
      2006 - 2010
      Residency
    • MS
      University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
      2013 - 2015
    • MD
      Rush Medical College, 600 S. Paulina Ave., Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
      2002 - 2006
    • BS
      Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
      1998 - 2001

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

    Research Overview

    - Clostridium difficile Infection
    - Biomarkers and predictive modeling in infectious diseases
    - The gut microbiome
    - Gram negative infections and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs)

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Miniature bioreactor arrays for modeling functional and structural dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease
      Newman KL, Standke AK, James G, Vendrov KC, Inohara N, Bergin IL, Higgins PDR, Rao K, Young VB, Kamada N. Gut Microbes, 2026 Dec 31; 18 (1): 2604875 DOI:10.1080/19490976.2025.2604875
      PMID: 41427586
    • Journal Article
      Association between Clostridioides difficile infection and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in a National Veterans Affairs Cohort.
      Rifkin SB, Markham NO, Anderson SM, Wilson O, Shrubsole MJ, Sears CL, Rao K. medRxiv, 2026 May 22; DOI:10.64898/2026.05.20.26353667
      PMID: PMC13228777
    • Journal Article
      D17-07 Derivation and Preliminary Validation of Novel Hierarchical Composite Endpoints for Severe Pneumonia Clinical Trials
      Albin O, Dickson RP, Rao K, Wunderink RG, Pogue J, Kaye KS. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2026 May 20; 212 (Supplement_1): aamag162.4537 DOI:10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.4537
    • Journal Article
      Mo1607 FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A LOW-SULFUR DIET FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF QUIESCENT CROHN’S DISEASE WITH PERSISTENT GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: RESULTS FROM A PILOT, CONTROLLED, STUDY
      Hill J, Ball S, Gjoka I, Wang Y-P, Gao J, Hassan SA, Young V, Berinstein J, Nojkov B, Chey W, Higgins PD, Rao K, Singh P, Bishu S, Lee A. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2026 May 6; 103 (5): s-1209-s-1210 DOI:10.1016/s0016-5107(26)02977-9
    • Journal Article
      Mo1607 FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A LOW-SULFUR DIET FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF QUIESCENT CROHN’S DISEASE WITH PERSISTENT GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: RESULTS FROM A PILOT, CONTROLLED, STUDY
      Hill J, Ball S, Gjoka I, Wang Y-P, Gao J, Hassan SA, Young V, Berinstein J, Nojkov B, Chey W, Higgins PD, Rao K, Singh P, Bishu S, Lee A. Gastroenterology, 2026 May 7; 170 (6): s-1209-s-1210 DOI:10.1016/s0016-5085(26)03046-5
    • Journal Article
      Association Between Clostridioides difficile Test Positivity and Colorectal Cancer Incidence in a Multisite Hospital-Based Retrospective Cohort Analysis.
      Rifkin S, Anderson SM, Chen X, Gebo K, Klein E, Markham NO, Robinson M, Rao K, Sears CL. Cancer Res Commun, 2026 Apr 2; DOI:10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-25-0606
      PMID: 41926620
    • Journal Article
      P-674. The Composite Hierarchical Outcomes In Respiratory infections (CHOIR) Study: An International Conjoint Analysis Survey Study of Clinician Priorities in Pneumonia
      Dickson R, Rao K, Kaye KS, Albin O, Wunderink RG, Valley T. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2026 Jan 13; 13 (Supplement_1): ofaf695.887 DOI:10.1093/ofid/ofaf695.887
      PMID: PMC12791235
    • Journal Article
      Reductions in ventilator-associated events following implementation of a ventilator-associated pneumonia diagnostic stewardship intervention: A difference-in-difference study.
      Albin O, Garcia Z, Troost J, Weirauch A, Rao K, Thompson K, Stoneman E, Kaye K. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 2025 Dec 17; 1 - 4. DOI:10.1017/ice.2025.10376
      PMID: 41404771

    Featured News & Stories

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    Health Lab

    Clinically deployed AI guidance for preventing C. difficile spread

    AI guidance for clinicians aimed at reducing the spread of C.diff was deployed for the first time in a hospital setting, according to a University of Michigan-led study.