Xiaopeng Bai

Dr. Xiaopeng Bai is a clinician-scientist and gastroenterologist whose research bridges basic science and clinical practice to unravel how the intestinal microbiota, immune system, and stress pathways regulate gut motility, epithelial integrity, and neuroimmune function. In parallel with this research program, he is an advanced endoscopist at McMaster University Medical Centre, performing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), complex endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and double-balloon enteroscopy for complex mucosal and small-bowel disease. After earning his MD and PhD at Kyushu University (Japan), Dr. Bai completed advanced training in gastroenterology, smooth-muscle physiology, and endoscopic techniques. His early work clarified mechanisms of esophageal motility and lower esophageal sphincter regulation, including roles for ion channels and prostaglandin signaling. At McMaster University, his postdoctoral research expanded to microbiota–host interactions and the gut–brain axis, contributing insights into microbiota-dependent control of motility, stress-impaired epithelial regeneration, and immune–neural crosstalk in post-infectious gut dysfunction. His lab uses gnotobiotic and humanized mouse models, multi-omics profiling, and confocal imaging to study interstitial cells of Cajal, enteric glia, and muscularis macrophages. Dr. Bai’s long-term goal is to develop microbiota-based diagnostics and personalized therapies for irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, and gut dysfunction following Clostridioides difficile infection. He is also deeply involved in supervising and mentoring trainees across translational and clinical gastroenterology.

• Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute

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