Cynthia L Sears MD

HIV/AIDS Medicine, Microbiology

Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine;

1800 Orleans StreetBaltimore, MD 21287
Phone+1 410-955-5000
Fax+1 410-955-5001

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Education & Training

University of Virginia Medical CenterFellowship, Infectious Disease, 1982 - 1985
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterFellowship, Infectious Disease, 1981 - 1982
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)Residency, Internal Medicine, 1977 - 1981
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityClass of 1977
Pennsylvania State UniversityBS, with Highest Distinction, 1972 - 1974

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Certifications & Licensure

MD State Medical License 1988 - 2027
American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine Infectious Disease

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

Altemeier Lecturer/Awardee Surgical Infection Society, 2012
Elected Member The American Society for Clinical Investigation, 1996
Guerrieri Clinician Scientist Award Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1989

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Select intratumoral riboflavin-auxotrophicspecies enhance cell surface MR1 expression and MAIT TCR activation in lung cancer.
Pakhi Birla, Lansaol Yang, Wanting Shan, Sakura Minamisawa, Omkar Dhaygude
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2026-08-25
Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis Induces Host Genotype-Specific Colonic Epithelial and Immune Responses in Mice.
Taylor Southward, Yongbao Zhuang, Ada Tam, Hana Minsky, Jacqueline Ferri
The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2026-08-03
Combining genotoxic gut bacterial strains increases tumor burden and accelerates onset in a germ-free mouse model of colon carcinogenesis.
Tamar Plitt, Alix Piessevaux, Urvija Rajpal, Jeremy Fischer, Matthew P Spindler
Cell Reports. 2026-07-28

Journal Articles

The Contributions of Physician-Scientists Within Divisions of Infectious Diseases
Cynthia Sears, MD, The Journal of Infectious Diseases
High-speed, ultrahigh-resolution distal scanning OCT endoscopy at 800 nm for in vivo imaging of colon tumorigenesis on murine models
Mavadia-Shukla J, Fathi P, Liang W, Wu S, Sears CL, and Li X., Biomedical Optics Express., 1/1/2018
A Blueprint to Advance Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapies
Le DT, Hubbard-Lucey VM, Morse MA, Heery CR, Dwyer A, Marsilje TH, Brodsky AN, Chan E, Deming DA, Diaz LA Jr, Fridman WH, Goldberg RM, Hamilton SR, Housseau F, Jaffee ..., Cancer Immunol Res., 1/1/2017

Books/Book Chapters

Sleisenger and Fordtran
Chapter: Infectious Enteritis and Proctocolitis
Haines CF and Sears CLElsevierEdition 10th,2014
Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases
Chapter: Prebiotics, Probiotics and Synbiotics
Rabizadeh S, Miller M, Sears CLEditors: Mandell GL, Douglas G, Bennett J.Elsevier Inc2009
Encyclopedia of Public Health
Chapter: Infectious Diseases: Escherichia coli
Wanke CA, Sears CLEditors: Heggenhougen K.Elsevier Inc2008

Lectures

The Human Microbiome: Emerging Themes at the Horizon of the 21st Century
Bethesda, MD - 1/1/2017
From Initiation to Outcomes
Tampa, TL - 1/1/2016
Biofilms and Microbes in Colon Cancer
1/1/2015

Other

Drive out the �bad bugs� to prevent colon cancers
Sears CL, Microbiology
TheScienceBreaker.org
1/1/2018
Microbiota dysbiosis in select human cancers: Evidence of association and causality.
Chen J, Domingue JC, Sears CL., Semin Immunol, on-line
1/16/2017

Press Mentions

Scientists Identify Epigenetic Key That 'Opens' Door to Colon CancerFebruary 20th, 2025
Urgent Warning to Anyone with IBS over 'Increased Risk of Silent Killer' | the SunNovember 2nd, 2022
Urgent Warning to Anyone with IBS over ‘Increased Risk of Silent Killer’November 2nd, 2022

Grant Support

Pathogenesis of Early Onset Colorectal Cancer: Microbiome Contributions and MechanismsJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY2021–2026
Pathogenesis of Early Onset Colorectal Cancer: Microbiome Contributions and MechanismsJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY2021–2026
Mechanisms Of TH17 Inflammation-Induced Colon CarcihogenesisNational Cancer Institute2010–2012
Mechanisms Of Interleukin-17 Inflammation Induced By Bacteroides FragilisNational Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases2008–2012
Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides Fragilis: A Bacterial Promoter Of Colon OncogenesisNational Cancer Institute2010–2011