Sharon Donovan

Sharon Donovan is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Division of Nutritional Sciences. She directs the Personalized Nutrition Initiative and holds the Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Diet and Health. With over 225 peer-reviewed publications, she has received continuous funding from NIH, USDA, and industry partners.

• Postdoctoral Fellow, 1989-1991, Stanford University School of Medicine
• R.D., 1989, University of California, Davis
• Ph.D., 1988, University of California, Davis
• B.S., 1983, University of California, Davis

Her research focuses on pediatric nutrition with emphasis on the gut microbiome, human milk oligosaccharides, and cognitive development in early life. Current projects include:

• STRONG Kids 2 Cohort Study: Longitudinal analysis of diet-microbiome-cognition interactions in 468 infants
• Gut-Brain Axis Exploration: Using piglet models to study bioactive ingredients' effects on neurodevelopment
• Exfoliated Epithelial Cell Analysis: Non-invasive host-microbiome interaction profiling
• Breastfeeding Efficacy Research: Identifying socio-environmental determinants of lactation success

Her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) span nutrition science, pediatric microbiology, and developmental neuroscience, with recurring themes in human milk composition, cognitive nutrition, and gut-immune-brain axis. Awards include National Academy of Medicine membership and Center for Advanced Study professorship. She has trained multiple award-winning graduate students and leads interdisciplinary collaborations with Texas A&M and UC Davis researchers.