David A. Relman, MD, is the Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor in Medicine, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. He is also Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, California.
Relman was an early pioneer in the modern study of the human indigenous microbiota (microbiome). A landmark paper in 1999 and another in 2005 were among the first to describe the human oral and gut microbiota, respectively, with modern molecular methods. Most recently, his work has focused on human microbial community assembly, and community stability and resilience. Principles of disturbance and landscape ecology are tested in clinical studies of the human microbiome. Previous work included the development of methods for pathogen discovery, and the identification of several historically important and novel microbial disease agents.
Relman received his S.B. in Biology from MIT in 1977 and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Member of the National Academy of Medicine, and a Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.