Danielle G. Lemay

Danielle G. Lemay, Ph.D. is a Research Molecular Biologist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Western Human Nutrition Research Center (WHNRC) and an Associate Adjunct Professor affiliated with the University of California, Davis. She holds a position in the Diet, Microbiome and Immunity Research unit at WHNRC, where she conducts cutting-edge research at the intersection of nutrition, microbiome science, and computational biology.

Dr. Lemay's primary research interests focus on how dietary components, especially fermentable carbohydrates, affect host response and whether these responses are modulated by the functional capabilities of resident microbiota. Her work prominently features the application of big data techniques, including sequencing technologies and machine learning, to understand the complex effects of diet on human health. A significant portion of her research examines human milk oligosaccharides, gut microbiota composition, and their interactions in both infants and adults.

Her publication record demonstrates strong expertise in microbiome analysis, with numerous papers on metatranscriptome analysis pipelines (SAMSA and SAMSA2) that have become valuable tools in the field. Her research spans multiple disciplines including nutrition science, microbiology, computational biology, and molecular biology, with applications in neonatal nutrition, gut health, and precision nutrition approaches.

Dr. Lemay has collaborated extensively with researchers at UC Davis and other institutions, particularly in the areas of milk composition, infant gut microbiome development, and the relationship between diet and microbial communities. Her work often bridges basic science with potential clinical applications, particularly in understanding how dietary components can be optimized for health benefits.