Contact Information

Department of Nutrition
Building II
3rd Floor
655 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-432-3081 or 617-726-4166
Email: allan_walker@hms.harvard.edu or wwalker@partners.org

Other Affiliations

Professor in the Department of Nutrition, HSPH

Education

M.D., 1963, Washington University School of Medicine
Conrad Taff Professor of Nutrition & Pediatrics, HMS

The overall mission of the Developmental Gastroenterology Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital-East has been in the development of gastrointestinal host defenses, particularly as they pertain to the role of enteric nutrients. We have studied the passive and active properties of human breast milk, specifically in the pre-term infant as it relates to necrotizing enterocolitis, a devastating gastrointestinal infection in the neonatal period. We have also developed human models of intestinal development (cell lines, organ cultures, microUssing chambers and fetal intestinal xenografts) to determine the effect of protective nutrients (pre- and probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, nucleotides, etc.) on stimulating mucosal defenses in the immature intestine and in preventing neonatal diseases. A major commitment of this laboratory is to train clinical/postdoctoral fellows in clinical translational research. We collaborative with clinical investigators to quickly translate observations made in our human models of intestinal development at the laboratory level, into clinical trials and ultimately to multicenter studies.

Nanthakumar N, Fusunyan RD, Sanderson IR, Walker WA. Inflammation in the developing human intestine. A possible pathophysiologic basis for necrotizing enterocolitis. PNAS 2000; 97(11):6043-6048.

Teitelbaum JE, Walker WA. The role of omega-3 fatty acids in intestinal inflammation. J. Nutr. Biochemistry 2001;12:21-32.

Fusunyan R, Nanthakumar N, Baldeon, ME, Walker WA. Evidence for an innate immune response in the immature intestine: Toll-like receptors on fetal enterocytes. Pediatric Research 2001; 2:237-255.

Savidge TC, Lowe DC, Walker WA. Development regulation of intestinal epithelial hydrolyase activity in human jejunal xenografts maintained in severe-combined immunodeficient mice. Pediatric Research 2001; 50(2): 196-202.