Mark Pimentel, MD, is currently the head of the Pimentel Laboratory and executive director of the <a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/research/areas/science-tech.html" data-dm-value="Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program">Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program</a> at Cedars-Sinai. This program focuses on the development of drugs, diagnostic tests and devices related to conditions of the microbiome.
The Pimentel Lab researches irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal (GI) conditions effecting about 10 percent of the population worldwide and about 10 to 15 percent of people in the U.S. In the past, there was no definitive test to diagnose IBS. For a time, IBS was thought to be a psychological disease; however, the Pimentel Lab discovered a blood test to provide a definitive diagnosis showing that IBS is an organic disease. Having a definitive diagnosis for IBS paved the way for additional research in the Pimentel Lab to treat the condition.