Arpana Church, PhD

An accomplished investigator in medical research focusing on the brain, gut, and microbiome, Dr. Church has a PhD degree in psychology after completing an APA accredited clinical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical Center. Her current research focuses on the interactions between environmental and biological factors in shaping brain-gut microbiome signatures associated with stress-based diseases such as obesity and cognitive decline. Broadly defined, this ground-breaking research aims to integrate two systems (the brain and the gut) in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms associated with obesity, cognition, and altered consumption behaviors. This focus is key to a deeper understanding of the risk factors for many chronic diseases. Backed by the National Instituted for Health (NIH), foundation and industry, Dr. Church’s goal is to develop a comprehensive model that provides a powerful biomarker that will increase diagnostics around obesity and cognition in an effort to improve overall health outcomes. She is also a key presenter in the 4 time Emmy nominated Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: Secrets of Your Gut.”