Pembroke Alumna Dr Katerina Johnson Recognised for Innovative Gut Microbiome Research

NEWS |

Congratulations to Pembroke alumna Dr Katerina Johnson (2011, Biological Sciences & 2014, DPhil Interdisciplinary Bioscience) who recently appeared on BBC News South Today, BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Berkshire to discuss her research into the science of that ‘gut feeling’ – the relationship between the bacteria living in the gut (the gut microbiome) and behavioural traits. In a large human study, she found that both gut microbiome composition and diversity were related to differences in personality, including sociability and neuroticism.

Much of the previous research in this field had been conducted in animals, rather than focusing on this specific relationship between the gut microbiome and human behavioural traits. Some of the few previous studies that had been conducted on humans had provided intriguing results and possibilities for further research, for example a link between the gut microbiome and autism.

Katerina’s research found that numerous types of bacteria that had been associated with autism in previous research were also related to differences in sociability in the general population. Discussing these findings, Katerina commented: “this suggests that the gut microbiome may contribute not only to the extreme behavioural traits seen in autism but also to variation in social behaviour in the general population. However, since this is a cross-sectional study, future research may benefit from directly investigating the potential effect these bacteria may have on behaviour, which may help inform the development of new therapies for autism and depression.”

Her study also noted that many different factors can influence the diversity of the gut microbiome, including diet, travel, and even an individual’s social network. She found that people with larger social networks, and also with a more diverse diet, tended to have a more diverse gut microbiome, which is often associated with better gut health and general health. This was also the first study to find that adults who had been formula-fed as children have a less diverse microbiome in adulthood.

Katerina’s findings outline the potential for a wide variety of future research possibilities in the study of the human gut microbiome and its link to personality traits. Katerina summarised “Our modern-day living may provide a perfect storm for dysbiosis of the gut. We lead stressful lives with fewer social interactions and less time spent with nature, our diets are typically deficient in fibre, we inhabit oversanitized environments and are dependent on antibiotic treatments. All these factors can influence the gut microbiome and so may be affecting our behaviour and psychological well-being in currently unknown ways.”