Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2025-2026

Ph.D. Student, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Research Summary: Worldwide, over 200 million children are suffering from malnutrition, the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. Recent research indicates that the microbes that live in our gut, called the gut microbiome, is linked to malnutrition. Studies show that children with malnutrition have an altered gut microbiome compared to healthy peers. This altered gut microbiome has been linked to malnutrition relapse, increased risk of infection, and chronic disease later in life. My research aims to improve the gut microbiome of children with malnutrition to prevent relapse and infection and improve their health.