The Jin Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park studies how intestinal stem cells and their surrounding niche rebuild and grow the gut lining. We pursue this question in two settings. In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we look for ways to restart mucosal healing when the gut lining fails to repair itself. In newborn piglets, we study how the stromal niche guides early gut development to improve growth and gut health without antibiotics. Using intestinal organoids, genetically engineered mouse models, and piglet studies, together with collaborators in engineering, veterinary medicine, and clinical gastroenterology, we aim to turn discoveries in the lab into therapies for patients and solutions for animal agriculture.