When Sarah Comstock talks about her research, her purpose behind it is clear.

“The first 1,000 days of life, from preconception to the first two years, really set up an individual for success, health and proper development,” said Comstock.

Comstock is an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. “Being able to help everyone get this great start in life is truly important to me and gets me excited and up every day to come to work to do this research.”

Much of her research centers around child development and how maternal health influences it, examining specifically the roles nutrition, metabolites and gastrointestinal microbiota — the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms supporting gut health — play before and during the beginning stages of a child’s life.

Her dedicated leadership in these areas have earned her multiple honors, including the Peter Hartmann Mid-Career Award for Impact on Research and Mentorship she received in December 2024 from the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation, which recognizes a mid-career member of the society who’s demonstrated an exemplary record of research and mentorship in the field of human milk and lactation research.