Kevin Walsh

Biography

I qualified with a BSc. (Hons) in Human Nutrition and Dietetics in 2009 from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. From 2009-2013 I pursued a clinical career as a Registered Dietitian in the NHS, during which time I specialised in nutrition support for rehabilitation. After completing my MRes with distinction in Clinical Research (Human Nutrition) in 2014 at Imperial College London, I received a scholarship from the Institute of Global Health Innovation to study for a PhD. My main research interests are in the use of metabonomics (chiefly 1H NMR spectroscopy) and metataxonomics (16S rRNA profiling), in conjunction with clinical, anthropometric and dietary data to examine responses to severe childhood anaemia and malnutrition. The project which forms the basis of my PhD is a sub-study of the large TRACT transfusion trial, comparing treatment modalities for severe anaemia in children in sub-Saharan Africa. This sub-study aims to characterise the gut microbiota and host metabolism changes in severe anaemia and in response to treatment. I also work on several trials exploring metabolism in severe childhood malnutrition, including an interventional study to develop a nutritional intervention to modify the gut microbiota in severe malnutrition using legumes (MIMBLE).

Research Interest

Human Nutrition