Aubreyona Migliori a Finalist for the American Society for Nutrition's Emerging Leaders Award

Utah State University student Aubreyona Migliori has been named a finalist in for a national nutritional science award.

The Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Abstract Recognition Award Program by the American Society for Nutrition recognizes the highest quality research presented by students and young investigators at Nutrition 2022 Live Online.

The event is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutrition professionals around the globe. The virtual meeting brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges and includes undergraduate, graduate and medical students.

More than 700 abstracts were submitted by students and postdoctoral fellows, and the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Abstract Recognition Award Program recognizes the top 15% highest-scored abstracts as reviewed and rated by more than 400 nutrition scientists.

Migliori will be recognized during Nutrition 2022 Live Online and has also been invited to present her research: “Effect of Replacing Cellulose with Primarily Insoluble Fiber on the Microbiome and Short Chain Fatty Acids, and Fecal Calprotectin in Mice Fed a High Fat Diet.”

“Through this program, the American Society for Nutrition celebrates the achievements of our rising stars,” said the organization’s president, Paul Coates. “The society looks forward to watching their future contributions to advance our understanding of nutrition science and practice.”

Migliori, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science and a minor in chemistry, completed her laboratory research with faculty mentors Robert Ward and Korry Hintze, both in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. Earlier she did research on fatty acids in Ward’s lab with support from a USU Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant.

“We began this fiber-mouse model last summer where I fed and collected data from the mice,” Migliori said. “Afterward, I helped analyze microbiome composition and inflammation from the mouse fecal samples throughout this last year.”

To collect the samples and data, Migliori first had to catch the mice to perform glucose tests and MRIs.

“Funny enough, the hardest part of the project was catching them out of their little homes to analyze,” Migliori said. “I remember that in the beginning of the project, all the mice were young and lean, and it was almost impossible to catch them out of their little cage. They ran marathons around my hand. At the end of the project, either I became quicker, or they had stored up a bit of weight and became much slower.”

Migliori will continue to work with Ward on projects through the summer, including a second part of the mouse-fiber study. In the fall, Migliori is continuing at USU as a master’s degree student in the nutrition and food sciences program. She hopes to attend medical school in the future and to become a physician.

“USU’s NDFS department has amazing faculty who try to help students find academic and career opportunities for future success,” Migliori said. “Through them, I learned of an opportunity to work on a project in the department researching probiotics. It seemed like the perfect fit and meant I got to stay at USU for a bit longer. It will be a great learning opportunity and help me prepare for a medical career in the future.”