The ISAPP Students and Fellows Association (ISAPP-SFA) was created in 2009 as an initiative to link trainees working in fields related to probiotics, prebiotics and health effects of commensal microbes. We operate as a student-led branch of our parent group, ISAPP (www.isappscience.org). ISAPP aims to advance scientific excellence in probiotics and prebiotics.
Our goal as ISAPP-SFA is to create an interactive network of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows across the globe working on probiotics, prebiotics or related fields, and thus promote real-time interactions, intellectual and technical exchanges, and other networking opportunities for our members. We intend to act as a resource for ISAPP and the industry, providing a communication platform to facilitate scientific discussions, internships and employment opportunities among qualified researchers in the field.
The membership application form for ISAPP-SFA is available here. You can contact us at isappsfa99@gmail.com or visit our Facebook / Twitter pages.
ISAPP, our parent organization, now has a Facebook page and a monthly newsletter! Like their page here and subscribe to the newsletter here for even more news from the leading experts in the field of probiotics and prebiotics.
Executive Committee ISAPP-SFA 2023-2024
Title: Postdoctoral Researcher at Teagasc and APC Microbiome Ireland (Cork, Ireland).
Current Research: My research is based on human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), found in breast milk, and their impact on the early life gut microbiota, with a specific focus on Bifidobacterium. I am looking at how HMOs impact both composition and functional potential of the infant microbial community, including the metabolites they produce as a result of HMO availability.
“I attended my first ISAPP annual meeting in Antwerp in 2019, and found being part of ISAPP-SFA to be a very rewarding and encouraging experience. It offers the opportunity to connect with leading researchers in both academia and industry environments. It is a fantastic platform for early-career researchers to connect, discuss their work, and learn about the latest research topics.”
Brendan Daisley, PhD
Vice President ISAPP-SFA
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Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at University of Guelph (Canada)
Research Interests: I am interested in how probiotic science can be applied to favourably impact human, wildlife, and overall planetary health. A major focus of my current work is to elucidate mechanisms by which beneficial strains of bacteria can directly and/or indirectly improve immunity, detoxification of pesticides, and the nutritional status of honey bees. Through this work, I hope to contribute to a sustainable future by developing a framework of how microbial-based solutions can be used to support the health of important pollinator insects that are critical to the global food supply.
“I was introduced to the organization in 2016 by my PhD supervisor, Dr. Gregor Reid, and have since attended three meetings as a member and helped organize two meetings as an executive commitee member. During this time, I have found the annual meetings to provide an excellent platform for students and fellows to connect/collaborate with leading experts in the fields of probiotic/prebiotic/postbiotic sciences as well as learn about the latest and most interesting research on the topics. Notably, affiliation with ISAPP-SFA also offers a unique opportunity to network with relevant industry members and influencers.”
Title: Doctoral and Registered Dietitian Student – Division of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Research Interests: I am interested in how fermented foods can affect the host gut microbiome and how current federal regulations impact fermented food production. A major focus of my current work is better understanding the differences between grain and commercially produced kefir. My research has consisted of microbial plating, animal models, and in vitro fermentation to determine how compositional and microbial differences in kefir may affect host health. Through this work, I hope to contribute evidence that shows improved regulations in labeling and characterizing fermented foods are needed so they might retain authenticity when produced large scale.
“I became familiar with ISAPP through my research advisor, Dr. Kelly Swanson in 2019. Since then, I attended the virtual ISAPP conference in 2020 and anticipate presenting at the 2023 conference. I look forward to my new position as a Local Chapter Organizer in ISAPP-SFA. I look forward to contributing to SFA and facilitating an avenue to interact with industry and scientific figures.”
Title: PhD candidate at Professor Paul Ross’ bacteriocin lab at APC Microbiome Ireland.
Research Interests: My research is centred around the role of bacteriocins, which are small ribosomally encoded antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria, and their subsequent role within the microbiome. My research focuses on exploiting their effectiveness as selective antibacterial agents to curate the microbiota to tackle AMR and climate change. Interests include functional, ecological and evolutionary genomics, microbial ecology and bacterial competition.
“I was lucky enough to attend my first ISAPP conference in 2022, and I found ISAPP-SFA was an amazing opportunity to network and brainstorm with like-minded early career researchers. The convergence of industry, expert and early-career researchers under one roof allows opportunities for cross-discipline collaboration under one common belief - a belief in probiotic, prebiotic, postbiotic and synbiotic science."
Sarah Ahannach, PhD
Director of Outreach and Community Engagement
Title: PhD Researcher at the Bioscience Engineering Department, University of Antwerp (Belgium)
Research interests: I am interested in the deeper understanding of women’s microbiome and how microbial management and cutting-edge microbiome analyses can improve women’s health and safety. A major focus on my work is studying the inner workings of the vaginal ecosystem (Isala project), vitamin-producing bacteria, and applying microbiome analysis to forensics with a focus on sexual assault cases (GeneDoe project). I hope to contribute to knowledge on the stability and dynamics of the female microbiome by presenting novel understandings for future intervention studies to unravel underlying mechanisms; the development of probiotics and biotherapeutics; and for developing novel tools that could be used in diagnostics and criminal investigations.
Title: PhD researcher in Food and Nutritional Sciences at The University of Reading, UK.
Current research: I am interested in understanding the prebiotic effects of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in adult gut microbiomes, with a particular focus on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I combine in vitro and in vivo approaches to assess the influence of HMOs on the gut microbiome through metabolic and microbial profiling, and subsequent impact on human health. I hope to provide some clarity on the potential of HMOs as therapy option in IBS through this work.
"Being supervised by Prof. Glenn Gibson and Associate Prof. Anisha Wijeyesekera throughout my PhD really highlighted the impact of ISAPPs' work in the field. I attended the 2023 meeting in Denver and finally realised what the hype was all about. The SFA offers a unique opportunity for early career researchers to network in a safe and encouraging environment, unlike any other association. I look forward to collaborating with ISAPP stakeholders as part of the SFA Committee and promote public engagement and understanding of probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic, postbiotic and fermented food research."