Kalem Hanlon is an M.S. student in nutrition currently working in the Poole lab. He earned his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences with a specialization in Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. His research examines how different types of dietary fiber impact the human gut microbiome composition and functionality. The goal of this research is to identify food components and dietary patterns that can optimize metabolic health by considering an individual’s unique combination of genetics, epigenetics, microbiome and lifestyle factors. Kalem hopes this research will eventually translate into practical, personalized dietary strategies to help prevent chronic disease.

My primary research project in the Poole Lab investigates how resistant starch supplementation influences the gut fungal microbiome (mycobiome) in humans. I am also interested in determining how certain microbiome profiles shape responses to different categories of dietary fiber intake, particularly in relation to body composition and metabolic function. Additional work evaluates how salivary amylase gene (AMY1) copy number variation impacts metabolic health and glucose homeostasis. 

2024, B.S., Life Sciences, Queen's University