Dr Ruairi Robertson, BSc, PhD

Profile

Dr Ruairi Robertson was awarded a BSc in Human Nutrition from University College Dublin and a PhD from University College Cork. His PhD research focused on the interaction between maternal and early-life dietary lipids and the infant gut microbiome in preclinical models, part of which was conducted through a Fulbright Scholarship to Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2017, he was awarded a four-year Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust to conduct research in the Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London. This research examined the gut microbiome and metabolic phenotypes of children with chronic and severe undernutrition from large cohort studies in Zimbabwe and Zambia. In 2022, he was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to the Institut Pasteur in Paris to study the influence of the early-life gut microbiota on the immune response to infection.

In 2024, he returned to the Blizard Institute as a Lecturer in Microbiome Science where his research continues to examine the early-life gut microbiome and its influence on gut function and growth, particularly in the context of child undernutrition. Ruairi is an active science communicator and public speaker through which he communicates the science of nutrition and the gut microbiome to the general public. He regularly writes articles/blogs, speaks at science events and festivals and has appeared frequently on TV and radio discussing the science of nutrition and the gut microbiome. He has a popular TEDx talk and podcast series titled Biomes in which he interviews leading microbiome scientists about their research.

TEDx talk
Biomes podcast

Postgraduate Teaching

Past lab members
•    Jessica Shields (M.Sc student)

Future lab members
Please get in touch if you are interested in writing a PhD/postdoc fellowship proposal to join the lab!

Research

Research Interests:

The 'First 1000 Days' refers to the point of conception until two years of age. During this time, critical metabolic, immune and endocrine processes occur that lead to healthy child growth and development. Interestingly, the gut microbiome (bacteria, viruses and many other microbes) also assembles and stabilizes during the first 1000 days, however little is known about how these gut microbes affect these pathways related to child growth.

We think that if this normal assembly of microbes is disturbed in early life (through poor nutrition, unhygenic environments or antibiotic exposure) this may impair the pathways that lead to normal child growth and therefore lead to malnutrition. My research examines how we acquire our gut microbiomes and the consequences of this microbial colonization in early-life on growth and development. To date, this has involved a combination of both basic in vitro and preclinical research in addition to large clinical trials to study the interaction between nutrition and the gut microbiome in early life. 

Current projects

Metagenomics and metabolomics of severe acute malnutrition

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is the most extreme form of malnutrition and despite WHO treatment protocols, 10-50% of children admitted to hospital for SAM will die either in hospital or in the few months after. Those that do survive have a high risk of relapse and have impaired growth up to 7 years after. We do not know why. However, there is some evidence to suggest the changes in a child's gut are critical. I am currently conducting a longitudinal observational study of children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Using a multi-omics approach (shotgun metagenomics and metabolomics) I am examining how a disturbed gut microbiota (upper and lower GI) may contribute to SAM and the long-term clinical outcomes after treatment.

The role of the gut microbiome in nutritional interventions to combat chronic undernutrition

The SHINE study was a large intervention trial of over 5000 mother infant pairs in rural Zimbabwe from early pregnancy to 18 months of age, testing the impact of improved WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and nutrition on child stunting. We examined the gut microbiome in these children from 1-18 months of age to study the environmental factors that influence gut microbiome assembly and its association with early-life growth. We are continuing to study how the gut microbiome may impact response to early-life nutritional interventions in SHINE and other trials.

The influence of maternal antibiotic exposure on pregnancy and infant microbiomes

Birthweight is the strongest predictor of child stunting, so we are testing interventions in pregnancy to increase birthweight and reduce preterm birth. We conducted a large randomized trial of an antibiotics (cotrimoxazole) vs placebo during pregnancy in 1000 women in rural Zimbabwe to test its effects on improving birthweight. As part of this trial, we are studying the gut, vaginal and oral microbiomes of pregnant mothers, and gut microbiomes of their infants, to determine their association with birthweight and the impact of the antibiotic intervention.

The influence of the gut microbiome on early-life gut function

A healthy intestinal barrier is critical to absorbing nutrients and fighting off infections in early-life, both of which are critical for healthy child growth. However, we know surprisingly little about how the early-life gut microbiome contributes to development of gut function. We are using new tools to study gut function in children at risk of malnutrition and testing how the gut in early-life responds to different microbes using organoid and organ-on-chip models.

Past lab members

• Jessica Shields (MSc student)

Future lab members

Please get in touch if you are interested in writing a PhD/postdoc fellowship proposal to join the lab!

Publications

Key Publications

Robertson RC, Edens TJ, Carr L et al. The gut microbiome and early-life growth in a population with high prevalence of stunting. Nat Commun (2023) 14, 654  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36135-6

Jones HJ, Bourke CD, Swann JR, Robertson RC. Malnourished Microbes: Host–Microbiome Interactions in Child Undernutrition. Ann Rev Nutr (2023) 43:1, 327-353 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-061121-091234

Robertson RC, Church JA, Edens TJ et al. The fecal microbiome and rotavirus vaccine immunogenicity in rural Zimbabwean infants. Vaccine (2021) 39;38, 5391-5400 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.07.076

Robertson RC, Manges AR, Finlay BB et al. The Human Microbiome and Child Growth – First 1000 Days and Beyond.  Trends Microbiol, (2019) 27(2):131-147 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2018.09.008

Robertson RC, Kaliannan K, Strain CR et al. Maternal omega-3 fatty acids regulate offspring obesity through persistent modulation of gut microbiota. Microbiome. (2018) 6(1):95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-018-0476-6

All Publications