Microbiomes of Pregnancy and Infancy: Implications for Child Health Outcomes

ECHO cohort sites have collected longitudinal microbiome samples and data spanning pregnancy through adolescence from a geographically, socioeconomically, and ethnically diverse US sample. The power of the ECHO cohort lies in its assessment of exposures in real time with the tracking of health outcomes as they occur throughout the life course. With specimen and data collection continuing in Cycle 2, ECHO has an incredible opportunity to advance our understanding of the impact of host associated microbiomes on child health outcomes. This talk will present data from ECHO-wide analyses of extant microbiome data as well as discuss the potential of ECHO microbiome data and samples to advance the fields of exposure science, child health, and human development.

Sarah Comstock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University. She earned a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Chicago and her PhD in Nutritional Biology from the University of California, Davis, where she studied the impact of food components on peanut and tree nut allergenicity. During her post doc at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Comstock studied the impact of human milk components on gastrointestinal and immune system development using a piglet model.  The overarching goal of her current research program is to determine which exposures build host-associated microbiomes that ensure appropriate child development. Dr. Comstock co-leads the microbiome and human milk ECHO interest groups. Today she will present data from ECHO-wide analyses of extant microbiome data as well as discuss the potential of ECHO microbiome data and samples to advance the fields of exposure science, child health, and human development.

ZoomMeeting: https://duke.zoom.us/j/93167123308?pwd=VW5YVEgyNlJnRlV3V29PQWt5NW1Idz09 

Meeting ID: 931 6712 3308 

Passcode: ECHO