Gloria Dominguez-Bello, the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Photo: Jeff Heckman.
Gloria Dominguez-Bello, the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most distinctive honors within the scientific community.
The world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its Science family of journals, AAAS announced the newest members of the class of fellows on March 27.
One of four Rutgers faculty to be named to the 2025 class of AAAS fellows, Dominguez-Bello was recognized “for distinguished contributions to knowledge about the human microbiome and urbanization, especially perinatal stressors and infant microbiome restoration.”
A microbiologist, Dominguez-Bellow has devoted her scientific career to making discoveries about a world invisible to the human eye.
She has investigated the realm of microscopic organisms, microbes that live in and on the human body. Trillions of microbes – bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites – constitute the microbiome, which shapes human health.
Findings in recent years – including pivotal work by Dominguez-Bello – have transformed scientific understanding of the microbiome. What once was thought of as a mere collection of microbes is now viewed as a critical player in the biology of the human body, she said.
Dominguez-Bello’s work has shed light on the microbiome’s development and function, and the impact of modern practices on microbial communities. The microbiome’s direct impact on human health drives her to learn more.
“The microbiome plays a crucial role in digestion, immunity and even mental health,” Dominguez-Bello said. “However, industrialization has altered microbial communities, which may contribute to rising rates of allergies, metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases. By studying these changes, we can develop strategies to prevent health problems and safeguard microbial diversity before it is permanently lost.”
A sampling of Dominguez-Bello’s major projects highlights her wide interests. She has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the human digestive microbiome across different ages and geographic locations and detailed its diversity and complexity. She has demonstrated how different modes of childbirth – vaginal birth and caesarean section – affect the initial microbiota in newborns with implications for long-term health. And she is helping to lead the Microbiota Vault, a global effort to preserve beneficial microbes for future generations.
There is so much more to learn and do, she said.
“I have so many questions I’d like to answer,” Dominguez-Bello said. “How and when should we restore the microbiome to prevent disease? How can we protect people transitioning from traditional to urban lifestyles from acquiring the disease risks common in industrialized societies? How can we build a high-tech society that respects and remains in harmony with nature?”
Rutgers’ AAAS fellows are among 471 scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines ranging from research, teaching and technology to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.
This article was extracted from the original story on Rutgers Today.
