Neal B. Shah, M.B.B.S.

Headshot of Neal B. Shah
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine

Expertise

Hospitalist

Research Interests

The role of blood microbiome in personalized medicine and treatment ...read more

Locations

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

4940 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224 map

Background

Dr. Neal Shah received his medical degree from Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital in Mumbai, India. He completed his internal medicine residency from University at Buffalo and a nephrology fellowship from Brigham and Womens / Massachusetts General Hospital combined fellowship program in 2019 after which he joined Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center as Assistant Professor in Medicine.

Dr. Shah's research interest is the role of human microbiome in health and diseases. He studies the role of bacterial genes within the human body (human bacterial microbiome) with special interest on the blood microbiome. He has published studies showing that human blood is inhabited by a community of bacteria genes that become imbalanced during chronic kidney disease. His research focuses on understanding the factors influencing the composition and balance of the human blood microbiome. His long-term goal is to treat diseases that currently lack adequate treatment by restoring a healthy microbiome balance.

Dr. Shah practices meditation which helps him become sensitive to patients' needs and provides a calming influence on his patients. He believes in Sir William Osler's quote "It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than what sort of a disease a patient has".

...read more

Titles

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine

Departments / Divisions

Education

Degrees

  • M.B.B.S.; Lokmanya Tilak Mun Medical College - University of Bombay - Bombay - Maharashtra (India) (2011)

Research & Publications

Research Summary

Human beings may have 99.9% similar DNA but their internal bacterial communities (microbiome) vastly differ. The bacterial genes within us help in our digestion, mood, and immune regulation. Therefore, the same food or medicine will have different outcomes depending on how it is processed by the individual's microbiome. This is the reason some of us get diseases while some do not with the same exposures. By studying the human microbiome, we can try to personalize treatment according to individual needs. My research focuses on understanding how the human microbiome in different body parts (including blood) functions together and what are the factors influencing it. My long-term goal is to use this knowledge to cure diseases by restoring a healthy microbiome balance.

Selected Publications

Shah NB, Allegretti AS, Nigwekar SU, et al. Blood Microbiome Profile in CKD. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. April 2019:CJN.12161018. doi:10.2215/CJN.12161018

Shah NB, Nigwekar SU, Kalim S, Lelouvier B, Servant F, Dalal M, Krinsky S, Fasano A, Tolkoff-Rubin N, & Allegretti AS. The Gut and Blood Microbiome in IgA Nephropathy and Healthy Controls. Kidney360. 2021;2(8):1261-1274

Activities & Honors

Memberships

  • American Society of Nephrology
  • American Medical Association
  • Society of Hospital Medicine

Patient Ratings & Comments

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

Is this you? Edit Profile
back to top button