UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology postdoctoral researcher Dr. Kasey Schalich has been awarded an NIH F32 fellowship to investigate how a bioactive component of milk may influence cognitive development through the gut microbiome-brain axis. The project, “A bioactive milk component promotes cognition through the gut microbiome-brain axis,” will examine how milk-derived glycoconjugates interact with beneficial gut bacteria and whether these interactions increase the availability of sialic acid, a molecule important for neurodevelopment. Working under the mentorship of Professors David Mills, Ameer Taha and Daniela Barile, Dr. Schalich will combine expertise in microbiology, neurobiology and glycochemistry to investigate how dairy-derived bioactive compounds may influence the developing brain through the gut microbiome.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to receive this fellowship and for the support of my mentors, Drs. David Mills, Ameer Taha and Daniela Barile, who have helped shape my research journey,” said Schalich. “I am especially excited to pursue this work at UC Davis, where the collaborative environment makes it possible to bring together food science, microbiology and neuroscience to better understand how biomolecules in milk interact with the developing infant’s gut microbes and ultimately influence neurodevelopment and cognitive health.”
The NIH-funded project builds on foundational research supported by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and several projects sponsored by the California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF). Additional support from the Peter J. Shields Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods helped enable the development of the research program and generate the preliminary work needed to pursue the NIH fellowship. Together, this sustained investment in dairy research provided the foundation for Schalich’s new NIH-funded investigation into the connections among milk bioactives, beneficial gut microbes and brain development.