However, I was also curious about the scientific evidence behind the claims made in the book. So I set out to investigate, as well as to experiment on myself (and my awesome husband!). I turn to scientific literature to answer many of my questions, and I want to make such research accessible to more people. Reading, understanding and applying scientific studies can be daunting, but my training enables me to critically analyze and interpret the findings and to present them in a coherent and useful way.

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My passion for microbes began in high school. I was fortunate to perform research with professors at the University of Idaho, studying how bacteria mutate to resist the killing effect of antibiotics. I continued at UI for undergrad, in Eva Top's lab, researching how bacteria transfer genes to become resistant to antibiotics.

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After college, I moved to the midwest for graduate school. I completed my doctoral research in 2013 in Paul Hergenrother’s lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. There I studied the feasibility of exploiting bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems as a novel antimicrobial strategy. Spoiler alert:  super cool idea in theory, not super feasible in practice.

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I continued developing novel antimicrobial strategies during my postdoctoral research in Stan Spinola’s lab at Indiana University School of Medicine. I also began studying the influence of the human skin microbiome on susceptibility to bacterial infection. Our advantage was using actual human volunteers for our trials. This is when I developed a real appreciation for how intertwined our health is with our microbiota.

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I absolutely loved academic research, but I also always wanted to stay at home. The decision to leave academia was tough, but I knew I had to seize the opportunity to be with my kids during their formative years. Being home has allowed me to delve into other topics that interest me, primarily the role of the gut microbiota in health and disease.

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If you and your gut are healthy, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your ‘crobes, but if you’ve spent years battling gastrointestinal, inflammatory, autoimmune or weight issues, improving gut health may offer a real benefit. Gut microbiota have been associated with numerous discomforts, disorders and diseases, from minor digestive issues like bloating and gas to life altering pathologies like obesity, diabetes and autism. The Microbiome Diet really inspired me to better understand the links between gut microbes and these diseases and to learn how diet modifications can transform the gut ecosystem into one that supports health. If you’d like to read more about my own health and weight challenges, read on in My health journey.

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I strive to be a healthy example for my family, and I am passionate about these topics. It is a real privilege to share them with you so thanks for reading!

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