Memoirist. Essayist. Scientist. Educator.
Melanie Spencer is a writer in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. From essays that explore life, love and loss to scientific papers on antibiotic resistance, the gut microbiome, and health care, her work combines the diligence of research and keen insight into behavior, offering a unique voice and perspective on the human condition. She is currently writing a memoir about family secrets and their consequences.
@MelanieDSpencer @BrevityBlog @AtriumHealthWFB
​
The Human Gut Microbiome and Nutrition
"You are what they eat"
My dissertation and postdoctoral research focused on the role of the human gut microbiome in human health, which was a wide-open scientific frontier in 2011, when I first published on this topic. This study was completed in collaboration with the UNC Department of Nutrition which was researching human response to dietary choline deficiency, resulting development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and genetic factors related to NAFLD. Our results showed that differences in gut bacteria between people were associated with NAFLD development in the presence of dietary choline deficiency. These relationships further elucidated the role of the human gut microbiome in micronutrient processing. My post-doctoral work continued this emphasis on choline metabolism, NAFLD and human genetics, with a further study that demonstrated specific choline metabolism SNPs were associated with hepatic steatosis. I have continued invited lectures on the topic of the human gut microbiome and micronutrients annually since 2012.
