Danone North America unveils 2024-2025 Annual Gut Microbiome, Yogurt and Probiotic Fellowship Award recipients

In a recent press release¹, Danone North America announced the recipients of their 2024-2025 Annual Gut Microbiome, Yogurt and Probiotic Fellowship Program. The award grants were given to Owen Hale of Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee) and Ella Ramamurthy of Rice University (Houston, Texas). Each university received $25,000 “to support innovative research aimed at deepening scientific understanding of yogurt, probiotics, and the gut microbiome.”¹

The fellowship program has been active for 13 years and has provided over half a million dollars to support research initiatives. According to the press release, grant winners are picked “solely on their scientific merit and potential contribution to the scientific community, regardless of any benefit to Danone's business.”¹ Winners are picked via a panel of experts who consider faculty recommendations, relevance to human health and wellness, and proposal quality. The funding is unrestricted and comes without any oversight or involvement from Danone.

"As interest in gut health continues to grow, it's critical that we support early-stage research that helps uncover how probiotic-rich foods, like certain fermented dairy products, can influence human health," said Miguel Freitas, PhD, vice president of nutrition and scientific affairs at Danone North America.¹ "Owen and Ella's projects stood out for their scientific merit and potential impact, and we're excited to see the discoveries their work will bring to light."

Danone North America first began accepting applicants for their Annual Gut Microbiome, Yogurt and Probiotics Fellowship Grant back in January and wrapped up their acceptance period on March 24, 2025.²

Hale is planning to investigate “eco-evolutionary processes within the microbiome that affect human health, which contributes to identifying the causes and consequences of dysbiosis.”¹ His research will focus primarily on Lactobacilli and what long-term effects come from antimicrobial compounds produced by the bacteria. "I hope my discoveries will inform the development of evolutionarily sustainable treatments or preventative strategies that will protect people from harmful bacteria linked to dysbiosis, inflammation, and infection," says Hale.¹

Ramamurthy intends to “engineer a probiotic bacterium to import, sense, and produce neurotransmitters to maintain healthy levels in the gut and better understand the interactions between gut and human health and wellness, including reducing depression and anxiety.”¹

"This funding underscores the significance of probiotics in maintaining neurotransmitter homeostasis in the gut microbiome," explains Ramamurthy.¹ "With Danone North America's support, I'm excited to study the gut-brain axis and develop interventions to restore a healthy gut microbiota and improve overall wellness."

"Science in this space is evolving at an incredible pace," adds Dr. Freitas.¹ "With the support of this fellowship, these students are not only contributing to academic progress, but also helping shape a future where food plays a central role in preventative health."

References

1. Danone North America. Danone North America invests in the future of microbiome science with 2024-2025 fellowship awards https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/danone-north-america-invests-in-the-future-of-microbiome-science-with-2024-2025-fellowship-awards-302493370.html?tc=eml_cleartime (accessed Jul 7, 2025).
2. McEvoy, E. Danone North America to begin accepting applications for its gut microbiome, Yogurt and Probiotics Fellowship grant https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/danone-north-america-to-begin-accepting-applications-for-its-gut-microbiome-yogurt-and-probiotics-fellowship-grant (accessed Jul 7, 2025).