Marian Frances Flaxman

Marian is the Communications and Advocacy Lead, as well as the host of the Center’s Podcast – Conversations from the Precision Nutrition Kitchen. Her interest in the connection between nutrition and health began when she experienced obesity as a child and grew more urgent when her first daughter was born with nearly a dozen anaphylactic food allergies. Marian’s curiosity, rooted in lived experiences, has guided her work and studies for nearly two decades, and she is thrilled to continue this work by joining the Cornell Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health.

After working in management within the natural food industry for more than a decade, Marian returned to academia, studying Public Health at American University in Washington, DC. There, she worked as a research assistant in The Lab of Nutritional Neuroscience, studying the impact of diet on neurotransmission. Marian then went on to complete a Master of Science in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Her master’s thesis explored the role of the human gut microbiome in health and disease, and proposed policy solutions to protect and promote a healthy microbiome, reduce chronic disease risk, and lower healthcare expenditures. Marian’s current interests include the role of the gut microbiome in chronic illness, the impact of diet on gut microbiome composition, immune training by gut microbiota, the interaction between agricultural soil microbiomes and the human gut microbiome, and “one health”, the framework acknowledging the inherent connections between animal human, environmental, and planetary health. She continues to work in health and nutrition policy development, and as an advocate for “food as medicine” policies, in Washington, DC. Above all, Marian cherishes her role as the mother of three amazing, healthy girls who inspire the work she does every single day.