Projects
Explore our portfolio of active and upcoming trials investigating exercise physiology, dietary intake, gut microbiome, and personalized cardiometabolic health across different age groups and lifestyles.
FGW
A feasibility study funded by internal startup funds investigating the acute effects of a single exercise bout on the stool microbiome and metabolome in women aged 21–40 years across distinct adiposity profiles and habitual exercise volumes. We will evaluate protocol viability and profile immediate post-exercise shifts in stool microbial diversity and metabolomic profiles to determine how baseline body composition and physical activity level influence acute host-microbe dynamics.
Team: Dr. Ortega-Santos (PI)
Support Your Heart
A two-phase NIH-funded (R34HL175017) pilot feasibility trial evaluating a telephone-based, health-coach-delivered program for young adults aged 18 to 39 with suboptimal cardiovascular health.
Team: Drs. DiPietro (Co-PI) and Ortega-Santos (Co-PI).
Prebiotic Inulin for Late-Reproductive Individuals (PILI)
A proof-of-concept study funded by a Research Innovation Award from the Milken Institute School of Public Health (05RIA112025) exploring how a prebiotic fiber shapes both the gut and vaginal microbiomes in perimenopausal women to support cardiometabolic health using a placebo‑controlled crossover design. We will profile key stool, plasma, and urine metabolites and use a non-invasive technique to measure skeletal muscle oxidative capacity (prebiotic-gut-muscle axis).
Team: Drs. Ortega-Santos (PI), Ghosh (Co-I), Rahnavard (Co-I), and Ciarleglio (Co-I).
NIRS
A feasibility study funded by internal startup funds evaluating differences in skeletal muscle oxidative capacity between women with overweight and obesity using a cross-sectional design. We will combine non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with B-mode ultrasound and skinfold thickness measurements to control for subcutaneous adipose tissue and characterize physiological responses across adiposity profiles.
Team: Drs. Ortega-Santos (Co-PI) and Murray (Co-PI)
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Effects of Replacing Sugar-Sweetened Soda with Functional Prebiotic Soda or Unsweetened Water on Children’s Dietary Intake
A randomized, three-arm pilot and feasibility trial launching in 2027, funded by OLIPOP, will evaluate how replacing sugar-sweetened soda affects daily fiber intake, gut health symptoms, and gut microbiome composition in 60 adolescents (ages 11–14) who regularly consume soda. We will assess protocol feasibility, participant adherence, and preliminary shifts in microbial diversity and gastrointestinal symptom profiles across three intervention arms.
Team: Drs. Ortega-Santos (PI) and Sylvetsky (Co-I)