Naomi Strout

The Microbiome Research Centre (MRC)

I am a dual trained Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife (Distinction) – so it was surprising (and refreshing!) that I was exposed to the microbiome. I was fortunate enough to watch the documentary Microbirth during my midwifery training, which ‘seeded’ my passion and love for microbiome research. It truly made me think about what we give to mothers and babies during and after their pregnancies, and how this can impact on the long-term health trajectories of our future generations. I then was offered the amazing opportunity to be the Project Manager for the MothersBabies Study at the Microbiome Research Centre in Sydney, Australia. There are very few places where I can combine my love for midwifery, paediatric nursing and research – this position was exactly that.

Now I am actively managing and coordinating microbiome research that might be able to answer all of the tricky questions surrounding maternal and child health. If we can determine how to prevent or treat disease from pre-conception and into infancy, by potentially manipulating the microbiome through personalized medicine, then we have the potential to positively change the health trajectory of many future generations, and simultaneously decrease the burden on the health care system worldwide. What health clinician wouldn’t want to be a part of that wave of research?