Elizabeth Johnson
Appointment
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Humans & the Microbiome
About
Research in the Johnson lab centers around understanding how nutrients in human milk precisely interact with microbial communities in the infant gut and how products of microbial metabolism affect infant health. This is done by careful analysis of the ever-changing contents of infant diapers which contain a wealth of undeciphered information about infant well-being. A deeper understanding of disease-related changes in microbiome samples from infant diapers will provide non-invasive diagnostic information about infant health. Overall, the lab aims to advance our knowledge on how infant nutrition contributes to microbiome-dependent gastrointestinal health in order to support caregivers in their efforts to provide their babies with microbiome-conscious early-life nutrition.
Awards
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2009
Relevant Publications
Johnson, E. L., Heaver, S. L., Waters, J. L., Kim, B. I., Bretin, A., Goodman, A. L., … & Ley, R. E. (2020). Sphingolipids produced by gut bacteria enter host metabolic pathways impacting ceramide levels. Nature communications, 11(1), 1-11.
Lee, M. T., Le, H. H., & Johnson, E. L. (2020). Dietary sphinganine is selectively assimilated by members of the gut microbiome. bioRxiv.
Support Us
CIFAR is a registered charitable organization supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Quebec, as well as foundations, individuals, corporations and Canadian and international partner organizations.