Page 20 - Revista FRONTAL Edição Especial iMed 12.0

SCIENTIFIC LECTURES

RUAIRI ROBERTSON PHD

“ALL DISEASE BEGINS IN THE GUT” HIPPOCRATES 460 BC – 370BC

AUTHOR
SUSANA BRANCO

Dr. Ruairi Robertson is a nutritionist,
microbiologist and neuroscientist, who
studies the human intestinal microbiome.
Fascinated by the way microbiome influ-
ence the human body, his investigations
emphasize the study of the interaction of
these microorganisms with human health
and disease from belly to brain.
Dr. Ruairi Robertson obtained a B.Sc in
Human Nutrition from University College
Dublin in 2012. He subsequently conduct-
ed a Ph.D. in Microbiology within the APC
Microbiome Institute, University College
Cork in 2016 and as a visiting researcher
to Harvard University Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital, between
2015 and 2016, where he examined the
role of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on the
developing microbiome, the gut-brain
axis and metabolic health outcomes.
Since 2017, Dr. Robertson is currently a
postdoctoral research fellow in The Bliz-
ard Institute, Queen Mary University of
London where his research examines the
influence of the gut microbiome in early
life growth.
One of his projects, named META-SAM
(Metagenomics and Metabolomics of Se-
vere Acute Malnutrition), comprises an ob-
servational longitudinal study of children
diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition
in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Through a mul-
timedia approach (metagenomics and
shotgun metabolomics), it is investigated
how an altered intestinal microbiota (up- months of age. The SHINE study is exam- siderable number of publications in lead-
per and lower GI) can contribute to the ining the role of WASH (water, sanitation ing scientific journals
onset of edematous and non-edematous and hygiene) and nutrition in improving Besides to research, he is passionate
malnutrition and long-term clinical results child short stature, the most common about communication in science! We
after treatment. form of child malnutrition worldwide. can find their contributions on national
SHINE (Sanitation, Hygiene, Infant Nu- With this study, he intends to investigate radio, live TV shows and even a TED talk.
trition Efficacy) study, is another project the role of the mother's microbiome in He also has a podcast where he inter-
in which it is involved. The SHINE study is the child's growth; the role of breastfeed- views some of the world's leading sci-
a large intervention trial with more than ing in the childhood microbiome and re- entists who are researching the human
5,000 pairs of mothers and babies in ru- sponses to the vaccine. microbiome and discusses the latest de-
ral Zimbabwe, from early pregnancy to 18 Dr. Ruairi Robertson presents a con- velopments in the field.

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