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Dietary intake and environmental exposures in early life are key to establishing trajectories for lifelong health. Childhood overweight and obesity, which affect nearly a third of 2 to 19-year-olds in the U.S., result from a complex interaction of genetic, microbial, nutritional, and physical and social environmental factors. To advance our understanding of these interactions, Professor Donovan and her colleagues established the transdisciplinary Synergistic Theory and Research on Nutrition and Obesity Group (STRONG) Kids 2 program, which uses a cells-to-society approach and provides unique insights into how individual biology interacts with the family environment to promote healthy eating habits in young children. In this presentation, Professor Donovan will discuss insights gathered from the STRONG Kids 2 longitudinal birth cohort study of 450 families in East Central Illinois, with a focus on how early life nutrition shapes growth trajectories and development of the gut microbiome.
About the speaker | Sharon DonovanCenter for Advanced Study Professor of Food Science & Human NutritionDirector of the Personalized Nutrition Initiative