I am a pediatric endocrinologist whose primary research interest is understanding the role of the early life environment on the future metabolic health of the infant. I am investigating the role of maternal factors such as obesity and maternal diabetes on milk exosomes and their microRNAs and the role that exosomal microRNAs might play in early life programming of the infant. I have demonstrated that maternal obesity alters expression of milk exosomal microRNAs that can impact early life infant growth. I am planning to perform mechanistic studies to examine the functional role of human milk exosomal microRNAs.