2017 SADII-SCORE Pilot Grant Program Awardee, Johns Hopkins
Dr. Noel Mueller, Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, is researching the importance of the intestinal flora in newborn babies, which the baby acquires during normal delivery from the mother’s vagina. This population of “microbes” is important in the defense against infection and in the regulation of metabolism.
Awarded: $50,000
What is Dr. Mueller studying?
Dr. Mueller is studying various aspects of nutrition in the cause of disease. He has worked on the population of bacteria (the microbiome) acquired from the mother that live in the newborn baby’s intestine. He also studies the impact of trace metals and the Mediterranean diet on the development of preeclampsia in pregnant women.
Why study this condition?
The microbiome is essential for the regulation of nutrition, the processing of food and the defense against infection. Over 6.9 million annual neonatal infections are tied to gut microbiome imbalances. The composition of the microbiome is involved in creating mental health disorders and establishing chronic diseases including diabetes, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease.
What did Dr. Noel Mueller find?
Microbiome disorder is a greatly underestimated factor in the generation of illnesses that can last into adulthood. Doctor Mueller is studying the benefits of maternal vaginal seeding with key microbial species typically acquired during vaginal birth to promote the colonization of the infant gut in babies born by Cesarean section. This will support immune system development in the baby.
His work on preeclampsia showed that lower blood concentrations of magnesium or higher levels of cadmium were associated with the development of that disease.
How did The Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine’s grant help Dr. Mueller’s research?
Dr. Mueller continues to be a valuable contributor to the role of nutrition in various human conditions from the newborn to the pregnant adult. He has published four important papers in his area of expertise that indicate his broad interest in nutrition and its impact on disease in preeminent journals, including the Journal of the American Heart Association.
What is Dr. Mueller’s current status?
Doctor Mueller has an appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.