Dr. Pieter Dorrestein is a distinguished chemical biologist renowned for his innovative approaches to understanding molecular interactions within microbial communities. He currently serves as Professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, with additional appointments in the Departments of Pharmacology and Pediatrics. Dr. Dorrestein received his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University in 1999 and completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from Cornell University in 2004, where he studied vitamin biosynthesis and small molecule-protein interactions. Following his doctoral work, he pursued postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois under Neil Kelleher, supported by an NIH NRSA Kirschstein fellowship, where he mastered protein mass spectrometry techniques essential for his future groundbreaking work.
Dr. Dorrestein pioneered revolutionary mass spectrometry imaging techniques that enable researchers to visualize the complex chemical conversations occurring between microorganisms in their natural environments. His laboratory developed innovative approaches to map the spatial distribution of metabolites across biological samples, providing unprecedented insights into how microbes interact with each other and their hosts through molecular signaling. The metabolomics data repository and informatics ecosystem created through his leadership now serves researchers from over 160 countries, with more than 450,000 monthly accesses, democratizing access to critical analytical tools for the global scientific community. His work has transformed how scientists study microbial chemical ecology, revealing intricate metabolic networks that influence human health, disease, and potential therapeutic interventions.
Beyond his technical contributions, Dr. Dorrestein has established himself as a visionary leader dedicated to community building across the international metabolomics research landscape. He regularly hosts visiting scientists at the Innovation Center and delivers workshops across continents, from Brazil and Africa to Europe and North America, fostering global collaboration and knowledge sharing. His mission to democratize science through open access to metabolomics data has positioned his work at the forefront of translational research, with the potential to develop diagnostic and therapeutic applications that improve human health outcomes. Dr. Dorrestein continues to advance the field through his commitment to making complex chemical data accessible and interpretable, ensuring that scientific discoveries can be leveraged to address pressing challenges in medicine and microbiome research.
