Yanan has a combined background in nutrition intervention and microbiome. She completed her PhD degree in Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada, and pursued postdoctoral trainings in microbiome research at the SAHMRI and the Developmental Psychobiology Lab at the University of Calgary. Yanan’s research interest lies in the interactions between diet and the gut microbiota. A primary focus of Yanan’s work is to design and assess different dietary strategies and food ingredients for altering the gut microbiota and improving host gut health, metabolic health, and mental health. Yanan joined CSIRO in 2022, and currently, she is leading the Baby Gut Health Study which aims to shape a healthy and resilient early-life microbiota using dietary strategy and benefit host health for the long term.