Stephanie Swegle

While interning at ISB, Stephanie was a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame, studying Neuroscience and Behavior and Data Science. At school, she conducted research in the Archie lab, focusing on the connections between diet, social behavior, and microbiome composition in baboons. She was also the rising Lead Layout and Design Editor as well as a Writer for Scientia, the science journal on campus.

At ISB, Stephanie researched how a high fiber diet impacted the niche space of specific microbes in the human gut microbiome. She looked for changes in metabolite production (specifically, short chain fatty acid production), food consumption, and competition for each microbe that she studied.

Stephanie was very interested in how diet can impact microbiome composition, which can in turn impact neurotransmitter production and immune health. After leaving ISB, Stephanie planned on studying the gut-brain connection, especially in relation to mental health. Her hope was to use a systems biology approach to improve health outcomes for patients.