Church Lab

News 2024

  • Arpana Church, PhD, interviewed for The Best of ObesityWeek®
  • Discrimination can cause changes in the gut microbiome, study says
    • In a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, UCLA Health researchers have found that people who experienced discrimination had pro-inflammatory bacteria and gene activity in their gut microbiome that was different from those who did not experience discrimination. The researchers could also predict with 91% accuracy which study participants faced discrimination just by analyzing their gut microbiome using stool samples. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and co-lead author, said researchers tend to study the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the body’s stress management system, to gauge how discrimination affects the body. But she and Tien S. Dong, MD, PhD, director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center Biorepository Core and co-lead author, were interested in how discrimination affects the brain-gut axis. “There’s a lot of research on how discrimination affects the HPA axis and how that leads to disease, but that’s only one part of the story,” Dong said. Read more in UCLA Health News & Insights(Link is external) (Link opens in new window)
  • Arpana Church, PhD, honored as a ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholar
  • Gut health tied to psychological resilience: New research reveals gut-brain stress connection
    • Stress has a profound impact on our lives, contributing to a staggering $300 billion in health care costs and missed workdays in the United States alone each year. The way we handle stress — our resilience — can make a significant difference in how we navigate life’s challenges. New research from UCLA has provided groundbreaking insights into the biology of resilience, revealing that it involves not only the brain but also the gut microbiome. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and senior author of the study, discusses the study in PsyPost(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) and in theravive(Link is external) (Link opens in new window).
  • ”Gut-healing” probiotic supplements are everywhere right now. Here’s what the science says
    • In case you haven’t noticed, we’re living in the “heal-your-gut” era. Within the past few years, there’s been a wild influx of influencers, documentaries, cookbooks and news articles breaking down how you can eat this or take that to “fix” your gut, and help address a range of health problems. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, who has dedicated her career to studying the gut microbiome, believes probiotics – as in, the actual bugs in fermented foods – are (generally) great. They have so much potential that it’s no surprise companies are packaging them into caspules to sell as all-purpose wonder-workers. But probiotic-rich foods and probiotic supplements are not one and the same.  Read more in this SELFarticle(Link is external) (Link opens in new window)
  • Researchers receive 9.5 million grant to study relationship between polyphenol intake, Alzheimer’s prevention, and the brain-gut-microbiome system
    • UCLA Health researchers, in collaboration with researchers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, have received $9.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with support from European funding agencies — The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Public Health Agency Health & Social Care (HSC) — to study the effects of polyphenols on cognitive health and the brain-gut microbiome system. In this five-year study, Arpana Church, PhD, co-drector of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and contact principal investigator, Emeran A. Mayer, MD, co-principal investigator and founding director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, and co-investigators will explore the relationship between polyphenols, cognitive function, and brain health through four project aims in 50+ year old adults with enhanced risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Polyphenols — a key component of Mediterranean diets and found in berries, grapes, green tea, and cocoa — may delay cognitive decline by preserving brain function and structure through gut microbiome metabolites by altering the physiology of the host’s secondary bile acids, highlighting their potential role in Alzheimer's disease prevention. Read more in UCLA News & Insights
  • 5 powerful ways tending to the gut boosts your health - from smoother digestion to better moods
  • Your gut microbes may influence how you handle stress
  • "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut" released April 26 on Netflix
    • Delve into the digestive system with this lighthearted and informative documentary that demystifies the role gut health plays in our overall well-being. Dr. Church provides expert commentary in this exciting new documentary.
  • Biotech startup Seed Health is betting its profits on AI-powered medical science - CNBC
  • Katie Couric Media
  • Newsweek and UCLA Health
  • The new science on what ultra-processed food does to your brain
    • Ultra-processed foods may not only affect our bodies, but our brains too. New research suggests links between ultra-processed foods — such as chips, many cereals, and most packaged snacks at the grocery store — and changes in the way we learn, remember and feel. These foods can act like addictive substances, researchers say, and some scientists are proposing a new mental-health condition called “ultra-processed food use disorder.” Diets filled with such foods may raise the risk of mental health and sleep problems. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, provided commentary in this Wall Street Journal article(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) (subscription required)
  • Nature Mental Health highlights research by Arpana Church, PhD