معرفی
Professor Karen Scott is a Personal Chair in the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen, where she leads research in gut microbiology at the Rowett Institute. She earned her BSc in Biochemistry from the same institution and completed her PhD in Molecular Biology of plant viruses at the Scottish Crop Research Institute. She has been an active researcher at the Rowett Institute since the completion of her PhD.
Research Interests:
- Molecular mechanisms of dietary fiber and prebiotic utilization by gut bacteria
- Dietary modulation of gut microbiota composition and activity
- Development and evolution of the gut microbiota across the lifespan
- Health benefits of oats and barley
- Antimicrobial resistance gene dynamics in gut bacteria
- Genetic manipulation of anaerobic gut bacteria
- Discovery and development of next-generation probiotics
Her recent research, reflected in her publications, spans high-impact topics including the role of probiotics in antibiotic-perturbed microbiota, classification of prebiotics, gut-brain interactions in aging, and butyrate-producing bacteria as probiotics. Her work increasingly integrates microbial genomics, metabolic analysis, and human clinical studies.
Scientific Awards and Recognition:
- Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2022, 2023)
- Runner-up, International Global Grants for Gut Health Nature Awards Research Group Prize (2023)
- President of ISAPP (2016–2019)
Advising and Grants: She is primary supervisor for three PhD students and co-supervisor for two others. Her research is supported by diverse funding sources, including the Scottish Government (HEI Partnership grant, RESAS funding), commercial partners like A Vogel, and international government-funded PhD studentships (Jordan, Kuwait). She leads projects on antibiotic resistance in the food chain, prebiotics for IBS, and bile salt hydrolase effects on energy balance.
Laboratory and Collaborations: She leads the Microbial Ecology Group at the Rowett Institute and co-directs the Centre for Bacteria in Health and Disease. She collaborates with researchers at JHI, Moredun, SRUC, UHI, and various UK and EU universities. Her lab specializes in anaerobic bacterial culturing, genetic manipulation, and microbiome analysis.
حوزههای پژوهشی
