Kira L Newman, MD, PhD

Kira Newman MD, PhD is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. She specializes in caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease and is a member of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the University of Michigan. Dr. Newman earned her Bachelor Degree in History at Yale University. She earned her Medical Degree and completed a PhD in Epidemiology at Emory University. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Washington and Gastroenterology Fellowship at the University of Michigan. Dr. Newman conducts mechanistic microbiome research on the role of the microbiome in Clostridioides difficile infection among people with inflammatory bowel disease, for which she was the recipient of a 2023 Career Development Award from the American College of Gastroenterology. Her clinical research focuses on health outcomes and healthcare equity for sexual and gender minority/LGBTQIA+ people with digestive diseases.

CURRENT RESEARCH
C. difficile colonization in select populations
Advisors: Nobu Kamada, PhD, Peter Higgins, MD, PhD, MSc, Vincent Young, MD, PhD, Krishna Rao, MD, MS
Assessing for microbiome and host-related factors that contribute to colonization with C. difficile versus infection in healthy infants and adults with ulcerative colitis using murine models and enteric-mimicking bioreactors (2022-present)

Prevention of recurrent C. difficile infection through dietary modification
Advisor: Krishna Rao, MD, MS
Interventional pilot randomized control trial of a fiber-rich diet for prevention of recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI) in adults treated with antibiotics for non-severe CDI. (2025-present)

Health and wellbeing of sexual and gender minority people with IBD
Multiple projects involving collection of primary and secondary data to better understand healthcare disparities and patient experiences of sexual and gender minority people with inflammatory bowel disease (2022-present)