Kelsey is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for human connection. She holds a BS in Food + Nutrition from the University of Alabama and a MS in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. She relocated to Los Angeles after living in New York City for 5 years because she strongly dislikes cold weather. On the weekends she can be found at brunch, on a yoga mat, or at Disneyland.

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In conversation with Kelsey:

Six word story of your life.
The hoper of far flung hopes.

What was your first brush with science?
The ocean. If you asked in elementary school, I would have told you that I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up.

Why do you think bacteria are important?
They were here long before us and will likely be here long after us. It’s an entire world that we’ve always coexisted with but have yet to fully understand.

How do you define science?
A method of understanding the world around us and within us.

How do you define health?
The ability to enjoy all of the joyous things in life while taking care of my physical, mental, social and emotional self.

What are you currently reading / listening / watching?
At the moment, I’m reading Why Diets Make Us Fat: The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession with Weight Loss by Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D. and I’m almost always watching Doctor Who on BBC.

Favorite microbiome-nurturing food?
Pretty much all fermented foods.

Scientist, dead or alive, you’d like to eat lunch with?
Jane Goodall

Microbiome perturbation you’re trying to give up.
Stress

One fact most people don’t know about you:
If I went back to school, I would study neuroscience.

Favorite science joke or best mindgasm fact?
Bacteria in our gut can digest parts of the food we eat that our body can’t and this produces byproducts which can be a source of calories for us.