Mary E. Kable

Mary E. Kable, Ph.D., is a Research Molecular Biologist at USDA ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center (WHNRC) and an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Davis. Her work focuses on the interplay between diet, gut microbiota composition, and human health outcomes, particularly how dietary fibers influence colonization resistance against foodborne pathogens. She leads the Kable Lab, which investigates (1) gut microbiota dynamics in healthy individuals linked to long-term dietary habits, (2) high-throughput microbiota culturing methods, and (3) in vitro fermentation studies of gut microbes with dietary components.

Her research integrates microbiological, nutritional, and clinical approaches to understand how dietary interventions can modulate gut microbiota for disease prevention. Recent studies include examining polyphenol impacts on microbial diversity, honey's effects on E. coli virulence, and lactose metabolism-genotype interactions. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to bridge basic science and translational nutrition.

Dr. Kable’s work has been published in high-impact journals such as Scientific Reports, Nutrients, and Experimental Biology, with a focus on dietary fiber, SCFA production, and microbiome-based health biomarkers. Her lab’s methodological innovations aim to standardize microbiota research techniques, enhancing reproducibility in the field.

Notable contributions include identifying host genetic factors influencing H. pylori adhesion and demonstrating resistant starch’s role in glycemic control and microbiota alteration. Her research has implications for personalized nutrition, food safety, and public health strategies targeting microbiome-related disorders.

Current projects explore diet-microbiome interactions in obesity prevention, SCFA-based health predictions, and the microbiological quality of dairy products. She advises no students but collaborates extensively with postdoctoral researchers and graduate students across institutions.