Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Cohort: 2015-2016

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

Research Summary: True food security extends beyond access to adequate food and includes supplying nutrition necessary for a healthy and active life. As such, food security is linked closely to human health and involves reducing chronic diseases associated with poor quality nutrition. My research addresses this problem by investigating ways that food affects gut microbiota and exploring roles gut microbiota play in disease prevention. By understanding these mechanisms, better access to crops that prevent disease can be developed. Ultimately, this research increases provision of food security through highly targeted nutrition, which enables disease prevention with available foods.