Thomas Sharpton

Thomas J. Sharpton, Ph.D., is the Jamieson Endowed Chair in Healthspan Research at Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute, where he also holds joint professorships in Microbiology and Statistics. Sharpton earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from UC Berkeley and completed NIH-funded postdoctoral work with the Human Microbiome Project at UCSF’s Gladstone Institutes. In 2013, Sharpton established a research program at OSU that integrates metagenomics, big-data analytics, and systems biology to develop precision approaches for healthy aging. As Director of both the OSU Microbiome Core and the OSU Microbiome Initiative, he leads a multidisciplinary team that provides state-of-the-art metagenomic profiling, integrative multi-omic analysis, and AI-driven modeling, with the goal of resolving the mechanisms through which the microbiome influences health. Sharpton has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles, identified microbiome-derived therapeutic drug leads, and maintains continuous support from the NIH and NSF. Partnering with academic, clinical, and industry teams worldwide, he cultivates cross-sector collaborations that translate microbiome science into strategies for preventing chronic disease and extending healthspan, while mentoring the next generation of researchers through inclusive training and outreach.