Milk for Infant, Mind and Immunity Laboratory

Aubrey started attending the University of Idaho in fall of 2022 and is on the University of Idaho swim and dive team. She has always had a passion for taking care of others and decided to major in medical sciences to broaden her opportunities after graduation — though her plan is to go to medical school. Aubrey is also fascinated with the human brain and why people behave the way they do, therefore, she chose to minor in psychology. She is really excited to help and gain experience in the MIMI lab.

Current projects: Aubrey is helping with analyses of the Novel Object Recognition experiments within the piglet project, as well as assisting with focus groups related to the maternal stress reduction study.

Megan started at the University of Idaho in the fall of 2016. She double majored in food and nutrition and child and youth development. After receiving her bachelor's degrees she continued at the University of Idaho and is currently a master's student in the Masters in Dietetics program. Megan enjoys working with children and families to better their well-being and health through nutrition. She is interested in how early development and human milk impact a infant's development and health. In her spare time she loves to read, cook and watch movies.

Mya recently joined the Chen Lab in the fall of 2023 during her second year of college at the University of Idaho. She is studying nutritional sciences, and hopes to go to dental school after completing her bachelor’s degree. After learning of the MIMI Laboratory, Mya felt it was the perfect opportunity to expand her research experience, as well as study the positive impacts of human milk. Mya is excited to be a helping hand for the various projects of the lab. In her free time, Mya enjoys being on the lake, hiking, listening to country music and watching football.

I received my undergraduate degree in biology, with an emphasis in pre-medicine, from Northwest Nazarene University. During my time at NNU, I participated in biochemical research looking at how reproductive hormones regulate glycolysis to find potential therapeutic targets for uterine cancer. I look forward to continuing my education in research and nutrition. I am interested in discovering how proteins from maternal milk affects the gastrointestinal system of neonates. When I have free time, I enjoy running, cooking and reading.

Victoria Hollinshead earned her bachelor’s in biology with a minor in public health from the University of Illinois, Springfield. She is now a combined medical doctor and master of public health student at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Victoria’s interest in human milk sparked while reading I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong for an undergraduate microbiology course. Her fascination for the properties of human milk and how they impact infant health grew more throughout her population science courses and she has been seeking opportunities to become immersed in this research area. Victoria traveled to the PNW in the summer of 2022 to the Chen Lab to gain basic research skills and begin her current research project she is continuing to do remotely. She is investigating the relationship between vitamin D status and depression scores among men and women of reproductive age using the large U.S.-based population dataset, NHANES, with a specific focus on women who are pregnant and their breastfeeding status.

Sara is in her second year of the masters' in dietetics program at the University of Idaho. She received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Saint Martin's University in 2018 and plans to continue into the nutritional sciences doctorate program after completing her masters. Her current research focus involves human milk peptides and the intestinal inflammation pathways, as well as examining intestinal growth, immune development and permeability as a function of different feedings. She hopes to one day work as a clinical dietitian in a NICU setting and continue research in human milk. In her spare time, she enjoys staying active and spending time with friends and family.

• While pursuing her undergraduate degree in biology, Heidi became fascinated with the gut microbiome and the influential role it plays in the overall health of organisms. It was this fascination that led her to pursue her masters in nutritional sciences at the University of Idaho with the Chen lab. Her thesis project explores the relationship between feeding types (human milk vs. infant formula), gut microbiome and neurodevelopment in piglets. In her free time, Heidi enjoys being involved with her church, adventuring, being active and creating yummy nutritious eats. She looks forward to exploring the Moscow area and embracing the new challenges it brings.

• Current projects: Heidi helps with the management of the Piglet Intervention Center (PInC) and is running experiments for her thesis project, including working piglet fecal microbiome, intestinal inflammatory markers and brain markers for neurodevelopment.

• Sydney started at the University of Idaho in fall of 2021. While she was pursuing her associates degree at Central Oregon Community College, she discovered a love for cooking and became interested in the importance of nutrition's role in health. She is majoring in nutritional sciences here at U of I and is interested in the role the microbiome plays in health and the link between nutrition and chronic disease. I plan to pursue a masters in nutritional sciences and attend culinary school in the future. In my free time I enjoy cooking, hiking, reading, skiing and riding horses.
• Current project: Sydney is analyzing data collected using the Novel Object Recognition test to assess neurocognitive outcomes in piglets receiving different feeding types.