I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Elena Verdu as Director of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, effective July 1, 2024.

As Director, Dr. Verdu will be responsible for setting the research and academic direction of the institute in consultation with the Governing Board and the Scientific Advisory Board, creating and operationalizing the institute’s business plan and reporting annually to the Governing Board.

Dr. Verdu is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Microbial Therapeutics and Nutrition in Gastroenterology. Prior to this recent appointment, she was Director of the Farncombe Family Axenic Gnotobiotic Unit, a state‐of‐the‐art facility that provides a controlled, germ‐free environment in which to study host‐microbial interactions. In 2021, she assumed the role of Associate Director of the Farncombe Institute, which has armed her with a deep understanding of the Institute’s mission and values. Her experience in managing the Institute’s activities, strategic planning and engagement with donors positions her well to lead the Institute into the future.

She completed her MD and training in Internal Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, followed by training in gastroenterology and clinical research at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. She earned a PhD at the Institute of Microbiology and Gnotobiology of the Czech Academy of Science in Prague and completed her postdoctoral training at McMaster under the supervision of her long‐term mentor and the outgoing Farncombe Director, Dr. Stephen Collins.

Dr. Verdu’s research focuses on the complexities of the gut microbiota and its impact on gastrointestinal health. She is particularly interested in understanding the role of microbes and diet as they directly apply to chronic intestinal conditions such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Her objective is to improve diagnosis and develop new interventions to prevent or treat gastrointestinal diseases, which directly aligns with the Institute’s mission.

I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Collins, who held the position of Director for two successful five-year terms. Dr. Collins founded the Institute in 2008 following a generous donation from the Farncombe family of Toronto, who have continued to support the Institute since its inception.