Expert Spotlight: Grace Niemiro, PhD

A conversation with Grace Niemiro, PhD, Pediatric Research Scientist, Abbott Nutrition:

Q: Tell us about yourself.

I am a Pediatric Research Scientist in Clinical Research in Abbott Nutrition's Research and Development division, and I'm passionate about science communication. I’m currently focused on leading clinical research evaluating the impact of nutrition on various pediatric populations and outcomes, including infant microbiome and pediatric undernutrition studies. I have a diverse scientific background, including research in exercise and nutritional immunology, cancer immunotherapy, and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell research. I enjoy working on human clinical trials to evaluate scientific solutions to real-world challenges. 

Q: What would you most like healthcare professionals to know about pediatric nutrition? 

Here are the three things that stand out most for me:

• Pediatric malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition. Many people believe that malnutrition only encompasses individuals who are failing to meet their growth curves, though there is a growing amount of evidence showing that those living with obesity may experience deficits in micronutrients. It is important that all children experiencing malnutrition are represented in scientific research.
• Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) with dietary counseling help support catch-up growth in children with undernutrition in the United States. Many people believe the United States does not struggle with pediatric undernutrition, yet approximately 1 in 8 children express at least one indicator. In our US-based ONS study, we show that 2 ONS per day with dietary counseling supports greater gains in weight, height, and body composition than dietary counseling alone over 120 days in undernourished children. Further, we show that the ONS did not negatively affect dietary diversity or appetite during the same time frame. These results highlight the importance of nutrition in catch-up growth in children.
• Nutrition can have body-wide impacts. Not only is my research focused on children's growth, but I’m also helping conduct clinical trials on various nutritional ingredients in infant formula. One clinical trial I’m helping investigate human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) added to infant formula’s impact to the developing infant microbiome over time. The microbiome is important in infant development, and understanding the positive impact of these ingredients during infancy can help us to formulate infant formula closer to breastmilk.

Q: Where can we find more information that supports your work?

You may find these ANHI resources to be particularly helpful:

• The Impact of Oral Nutritional Supplement Plus Dietary Counseling on Growth Outcomes in Young Children
• Beyond Weight: Nutritional Insights and New Evidence for Catch-Up Growth