Nutritional Microbiology, Microbiome, and Microbe Nutrition

Category: Nutritional Microbiology, Microbiome, and Microbe Nutrition (I) (Poster Session)

Nutritional Microbiology, Microbiome, and Microbe Nutrition (I) (Poster Session)

(P27-07-26) Brain Health & the Gut Microbiome (bMicrobiome Study): A Proof-of-Concept, Feasibility Study Integrating Multidimensional Phenotyping Across the Cognitive Aging Spectrum

Sunday, July 26, 2026

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM ET

Location: Poster Board F-4

Presenting Author(s)

Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor, Executive Director; Chief Well-being Officer
George Washington University; Good Bacteria
St Michaels, Maryland, United States

Co-Author(s)

AW

Alison Warren, PhD

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
AA

Abdelmohsen Al Qalam

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
Patrick G. Corr, EdD, MEd, AFAMEE (he/him/his)

Assistant Professor
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
MF

Mina Farah

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
MK

Michaela Karam

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
KR

Katherine Rangoussis

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
MF

Mehrshad Fahim Devin

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
ZC

Zeynep Celikkol

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
LG

Lindsey Gordon

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
DV

Daniel Villarreal

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
EC

Elizabeth Catto

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
YU

Yvonne Udam

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
KT

Katherine Thompson

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
OL

Owen Lubinski

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
AS

Abdallah Samman

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
AB

Alia Badawi

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States
HH

Holly Hack

National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
MH

Monique Hunter

National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
IH

Ian Hines

National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
Stephanie Servetas, PhD

NRC Postdoctoral Fellow
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States
SJ

Scott A. Jackson

The NEST Consulting, United States
NH

Nur A. Hasan

Arius Bioscience, United States
MK

Mikhail Kogan

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States

Disclosure(s):

Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Evaluate feasibility of multidimensional phenotyping with metrology-aligned shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Characterize gut microbiome features, dietary patterns, and behavioral readiness across cognitive aging spectrum.

Methods: Prospective, proof-of-concept study enrolled adults 50–90 years around Washington, DC classified as cognitively healthy controls (HC) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by clinical history; early Alzheimer’s disease participants were unable to complete study requirements. Longitudinal assessment used cognitive assessment (BoCA), patient-reported outcomes (PROMIS-29), dietary intake and quality (DietID), readiness-for-change (adapted URICA), at-home stool collection. Exploratory analyses evaluated microbial diversity, relative abundance (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, PERMANOVA; HC vs. MCI).

Results: Seventeen participants completed sufficient assessments for inclusion (HC=11, MCI=6). Substantial overlap in gut microbiome composition was observed (HC vs. MCI) with no statistically significant differences detected. Trends were driven by poorly characterized and unassigned taxa (“microbial dark matter”). Dietary quality was high with substantial interindividual variability in vegetable intake, whole grains, fat quality, and fish consumption. Participants showed high readiness for nutritional behavior change; those with MCI reported greater concern about maintaining changes and need for external support.

Conclusions: Integrating multidimensional phenotyping with metrology-aligned metagenomics across the cognitive aging spectrum is feasible. Findings highlight substantial biological and behavioral heterogeneity, reinforce limitations of species-level inference, and identify diet and behavioral readiness as modifiable contextual factors. This informs the design of larger, longitudinal studies to advance reproducible, precision nutrition and integrative approaches to cognitive health.

Funding Sources: TM City Foundation