Qiwen Dong, Ph.D.

Professional Background

Qiwen Dong completed her undergraduate studies in Biotechnology at Nankai University, China (B.S., 2012). She performed her graduate work on herpesvirus pathogenesis with Dr. Laurie Krug at Stony Brook University and obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2018. She then went on to a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Eric Pamer’s group at the University of Chicago, studying Clostridioides difficile genomics and pathogenicity. In 2023, she joined Dr. Aimee Shen’s lab at Tufts University for a second postdoctoral training, where she continued to work on C. difficile physiology and virulence. In 2025, Qiwen joined the Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology at KUMC as an Assistant Professor.

• BS, Biotechnology, Nankai University, China
• PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stony Brook University, NY
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Microbiology, University of Chicago
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Microbiology, Tufts University

Research

Overview

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial infections in the United States, causing more than 450,000 cases and 20,000 deaths per year. The CDC has designated C. difficile an urgent antibiotic resistance threat because its infections typically occur following antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. The symptoms of C. difficile infection (CDI) range from diarrhea to colitis to even death, with one of the most significant problems associated with CDI being its high rate of recurrence (~20%), which becomes more frequent with each subsequent recurrence.

The Dong lab is interested in 1) identifying the fitness factors that promote C. difficile gut colonization and 2) determining how phenotypic heterogeneity (variable phenotypes within a bacterial population) impacts C. difficile colonization and virulence. We apply interdisciplinary approaches, including genomics, metabolomics, molecular microbiology, microscopy, and pathogenesis studies using mouse models to address these questions. With a better understanding of C. difficile physiology and the molecular basis of its colonization and pathogenicity, the Dong lab studies facilitate the development of more targeted and efficient diagnostics and therapeutics for combating CDI.

• Cole Cody G, Zhang Zhenrun J, Dommaraju Shravan R, Dong Qiwen, Pope Rosemary L, Son Sophie S, McSpadden Emma J, Woodson Che K, Lin Huaiying, Dylla Nicholas P, Sidebottom Ashley M, Sundararajan Anitha, Mitchell Douglas A, Pamer Eric G. 2025. Lantibiotic-producing bacteria impact microbiome resilience and colonization resistance. Cell Host & Microbe. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.11.007
• Nhu Nguyen TQ, Lin Huaiying, Pigli Ying, Sia Jonathan K, Kuhn Pola, Ruppel Hannah, Snitkin Evan S, Young Vincent B, Kamboj Mini, Pamer Eric G, Rice Phoebe A, Shen Aimee, Dong Qiwen. 2025. Flagellar switch inverted repeats impact heterogeneity in flagellar gene expression and thus C. difficile RT027/MLST1 virulence. Cell Reports
• Ribis John W, Nieto César, DiBenedetto Nicholas V, Mehra Anchal, Kuhn Pola, Dong Qiwen, Nagawa Irene, Meouche Imane EL, Aldridge Bree B, Dunlop Mary J, Tamayo Rita, Singh Abhyudai, Shen Aimee. 2025. Unique growth and morphology properties of Clade 5 Clostridioides difficile strains revealed by single-cell time-lapse microscopy. Plos Pathogen
• Dong Qiwen, Harper Stephen, McSpadden Emma, Son Sophie S, Allen Marie-Maude, Lin Huaiying, Smith Rita C, Metcalfe Carolyn, Burgo Victoria, Woodson Che, Sundararajan Anitha, Rose Amber, McMillin Mary, Moran David, Little Jessica, Mullowney Michael W, Sidebottom Ashley M, Fortier Louis-Charles, Shen Aimee, Pamer Eric G. 2025. Protection against Clostridioides difficile disease by a naturally avirulent strain. Cell Host & Microbe, 33 (1), 59-70.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2024.11.003
• Dong Qiwen, Lin Huaiying, Allen Marie-Maude, Garneau Julian R, Sia Jonathan K, Smith Rita C, Haro Fidel, McMillen Tracy, Pope Rosemary L, Metcalfe Carolyn, Burgo Victoria, Woodson Che, Dylla Nicholas, Kohout Claire, Sundararajan Anitha, Snitkin Evan S, Young Vincent B, Fortier Louis-Charles, Kamboj Mini, Pamer Eric G. 2023. Virulence and genomic diversity among clinical isolates of ST1 (BI/NAP1/027) Clostridioides difficile. Cell Reports, 42 (8), 112861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112861
• Becattini Simone, Sorbara Matthew T, Kim Sohn G, Littmann Eric L, Dong Qiwen, Walsh Gavin, Wright Roberta, Amoretti Luigi, Fontana Emily, Hohl Tobias M, Pamer Eric G. 2021. Rapid transcriptional and metabolic adaptation of intestinal microbes to host immune activation. Cell Host & Microbe, 29 (3), 378-393.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2021.01.003