Research

My lab is exploring how the Western diet, or a high-fat, high-sugar, low fiber diet, combined with binge alcohol consumption impact hepatic health. We are interested in untangling if this combination is worse than either alone and how this combination compares to Western diet and chronic alcohol consumption. This project is ongoing and we have some exciting data! Please reach out if you're interested in talking. 

Vermont has the most breweries per capita of any state in the U.S. Making alcohol produces waste, but that waste is nutrient-rich and has a lot of potential to be utilized. Storage and preservation of the wastes is a significant challenge. To address this, my lab group is seeking to use mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) to consume these wastes, thus preserving them and creating a potential future food. 

I am interested in how a variety of lifestyle factors intersect to influence health. Currently, my lab has projects ongoing regarding small dietary changes and health, as well as exercise and diet interactions. In the past, I have collaborated on projects involving dietary impacts on influenza infection, the development of new food products for health, and more. My lab group spends a lot of time thinking about diets and trying to make basic experiments more translatable. If you are interested in lifestyle factors and health or designing better diets please reach out!