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.jpg "Sarah K. Kirschner, M.Sc. photo")
PhD Student
Center for Translational Research in Aging & Longevity, Texas A&M University
Sarah Kirschner is a doctoral student at the Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity (CTRAL) at Texas A&M University. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences and her Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Hohenheim, Germany. As part of her doctoral research at CTRAL, Sarah developed a novel short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) stable isotope method together with her advisers to measure SCFA production rates in response to dietary (fiber) and life-style changes in healthy aging and chronic disease. In the past 2 years, Sarah published four peer-reviewed journal articles as first author about disturbances in small intestinal function (protein digestion and intestinal permeability) and related systemic functional and metabolic consequences in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Congestive Heart Failure to further unravel the gut-brain-muscle crosstalk. Her current research focus is on the effects of dietary fiber supplementation and exercise rehabilitation on gut microbial kinetics and microbiome health in relation to health outcomes. Sarah’s research has been awarded with a Research Fellowship from the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and recognized by two Strategic Research Awards by Texas A&M University. In addition, she has been selected as a finalist of the Clinical Emerging Leader Award Competition at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE.