Tag Archives: bacteria

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #77 – Colleen Cutcliffe, PhD – Microbes and Health

This weeks guest is Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe.

Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe is a researcher and a thinker with persistence. Throughout history, these are the human qualities that lead people to develop amazing products and lead projects for the world to benefit from. Her story is one of discovery, passion and caring.

Dr. Cutcliffe holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Biochemistry from Wellesley College. Her scientific background is complemented by her experience in managing both research and operations teams in the biotech sector. Before founding Pendulum Therapeutics, she held senior positions at Pacific Biosciences and Elan Pharmaceuticals, where she was instrumental in developing various technological platforms. She is the co-founder and CEO of Pendulum Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative solutions to improve gut health through microbiome-based interventions. With over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry, Dr. Cutcliffe has become a recognized leader in microbiome science, applying her expertise to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical, consumer-facing health solutions. At Pendulum Therapeutics, Dr. Cutcliffe has led the development of novel probiotic formulations specifically designed to address metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Her work has been pivotal in the growing recognition of the microbiome’s role in human health, pushing forward the concept of targeted probiotics as a potential therapeutic option. Under her leadership, Pendulum Therapeutics has gained recognition for its scientific rigor and innovative approaches to personalized nutrition.

Today, we discuss the story of her discovery and the fact that her work is the beginning of a hopeful wave of change for humans through gut microbiome manipulation. Dr. Cutcliffe helps us understand the basics of the microbiome, what helps it stay balanced and conversely, what upsets it. How does it support our metabolism and health in general. The main thrust of her work comes into the spotlight with Akkermansia mucinophilia, a keystone species for positive health.

Please Enjoy my conversation with Dr. Cutcliffe,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 40

Maternal Microbiome Part II
Mom has a gut microbiome that directly seeds her babies microbiome. This microbiome dictates human long term and short term health. Eating a diet loaded with fiber based fruits, legumes and vegetables will cause a highly diverse bacterial microbiome to exist and this existence is correlated with better long term health……plus a section on mate matching as well as the recipe of the week!
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 39

Maternal Nutrition and the Microbiome – Part I

This was a tricky topic to drill down into one article – so I split it into two. Bear with me on this topic as it is so important in the grander scheme of maternal and child health.
The microbiome by definition: the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment.
Pregnancy is a dynamic event where a woman’s body changes radically, including epigenetically, hormonally, immunologically and physiologically in order to conceive and carry a baby to term. Pregnancy has always been a scientific fascination because of these changes. Now, we add the microbiome to the list, as it is the latest area of research that is shedding light on how pregnancy outcomes are determined.
Part I
This was a tricky topic to drill down into one article – so I split it into two. Bear with me on this topic as it is so important in the grander scheme of maternal and child health. The microbiome by definition: the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment. Pregnancy is a dynamic event where a woman’s body changes radically, including epigenetically, hormonally, immunologically and physiologically in order to conceive and carry a baby to term. Pregnancy has always been a scientific fascination because of these changes. Now, we add the microbiome to the list, as it is the latest area of research that is shedding light on how pregnancy outcomes are determined…… also two sections on covid vaccines and disease…
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 24

A subset of children may be more susceptible to respiratory infections of viral and bacterial varieties based on some new research. It appears that the microbiomes of the nasopharyngeal respiratory tract and host immune defenses play a major role here. We discuss some new research regarding infection risk. We also discuss snakes, post bite care and avoidance.

More to learn,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #9 – Dr. Tracy Shafizadeh, Evivo Probiotic for Babies

Dr. Tracy Shafizadeh is a nutritional scientist, speaker, and author with over 15 years of experience in scientific communications and life science research. Prior to serving as the Director of Scientific Communications at Evolve BioSystems, she led both product development and research services at various start-up life science companies, including Lipomics Technologies, Tethys Bioscience and Metabolon, Inc. Dr. Shafizadeh received her PhD in nutritional biology from UC Davis, studying intestinal development and folate metabolism in newborns.

Today, we spend the hour discussing the maternal and infant microbiome with respect to maternal breastmilk, human milk sugars and childhood outcome. Evolve Biosystems has produced a probiotic with excellent science to help guide us in new therapeutic discovery. We head to the beginnings of disease onset when the infant is only starting to take his or her first breaths.

I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Tracy Shafizadeh,

Dr. M

 

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 11 Issue 30

Dental Care – Why is it so important?
We have intermittently discussed dental care over the last 11 years with regard to oral health as well as systemic health. There was an excellent podcast between Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Patricia Corby two weeks ago looking at all things oral health. I am going to distill the 2 hour podcast down into a manageable audio recording of the newsletter with some more information on dental anthropology and the oral microbiome.
Dr. Corby is an oral health researcher from Penn Dental Medicine in Pennsylvania and she is a wealth of research information in the oral space. Read more here – https://www.salisburypediatrics.com/patient-education/dr-magryta-s-newsletter/973-volume-11-letter-30
Have a great day and hug your kids,
Dr. M