This Science Café will be presented by Elaine Choung-Hee Lee, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Applied Genetics; Director, Human Performance Laboratory; Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut.

Communities of microbiota reside in many compartments of the human body, most notably, the gut. As technology has allowed us to pursue more complex research questions about the nature, composition, and comparative diversity of microbiomes across individuals and contexts, it has become clearly apparent how impactful the microbiome is on our overall health and resilience. Effects of exercise and diet on microbiome, the nature of the microbiome among elite athletes, and dynamic responses of the microbiome during stress exposures are areas that Dr. Lee studies in her laboratory to support her lab’s ultimate goal of enhancing human resilience over the lifespan. This Science Café will present how dynamic and diverse the microbiome is, how it differs among athletes vs. sedentary individuals, and how aspects of the microbiome may indicate susceptibility to environmental and exercise stress, and thus resilience to repeated stress.

MDIBL Alumna Dr. Lee joined the number 1 nationally ranked Kinesiology program at the University of Connecticut as a faculty in 2012. Her lab’s research focuses on human resilience among athletes and military warfighters to understand ways we can enhance resilience among the general population, Dr. Lee completed her B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut in Nutrition, Biochemistry, and Exercise Science, a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University of Medicine, and postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Kevin Strange at MDIBL before returning to her home-state and alma mater at UCONN. As a track and field athlete, rower, and coach, she has pursued study of her lifelong passion and participation in elite sports. She currently is Director of the Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) and through her lab and the HPL has acquired over $5M in funding supporting study of our military special forces and warfighters, and elite athletes.

We ask attendees to please preregister online so that we can send you the link to the online presentation. Our live online Zoom presentations will be recorded and uploaded for those who cannot make the live session. Please note, when Zoom records, it captures the audience as well as the presenter. If you do not wish to be recorded, please turn off your video camera. Audio will still be available.

MDI Science Cafés are offered in fulfillment of the MDI Biological Laboratory’s mission to promote scientific literacy and increase public engagement with science. The popular events offer a chance to hear directly from speakers about trends in science.