The Gut Jigsaw Puzzle

Wow, I can’t believe this is happening! My very first blog post. I have dreamed of this for years. And, the best part is that I get to write about my favorite topic, the Human Gut Microbiome!
 
Some of you already know me and some of you don’t, so I’ll fill in a few details here to lay a foundation for this blog and to provide a direction as to where I see it going.
 
In May 2005, I completed my Ph.D. in Microbiology, with a focus on HIV-1 research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a young woman with big, fancy dreams I started my graduate program in the hopes that I would be a part of finding the cure for HIV-1 infection and AIDS. It had always bothered me that people who were living with the virus suffered physically, mentally and even socially because others may have shunned them out of fear. Well, during my studies I learned a lot about the virus and Microbiology, in general. We never found the "cure," but we added our piece of information to the puzzle. In my opinion, the most valued skills I walked away with were the ability to problem solve and the ability to read and understand scientific publications.
 
With the ink still fresh on the three new letters after my name, I began my teaching career. Over the years, I have taught at Colleges and Universities both in brick-and-mortar buildings and online. I have taught Biology, Microbiology and Anatomy classes mainly to Pre-nursing and Pre-Pharmacy students. It has been twelve years now. Teaching young people the beautiful details of life and how amazing

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