Early life is a sensitive period of development for the human microbiome, where local environments can shape microbial composition with potential downstream effects on health. I present dissertation research on how the nutrition transition in Samoa shapes human milk and infant gut microbiomes in Samoa, an urbanizing South Pacific nation. I will share analyses on how maternal dietary patterns and nutrient intakes are related to the diversity and taxonomic composition of milk and infant gut microbial communities, and how Samoan women perceive and utilize antibiotic medications in the household. The results of this work can inform future research on how local nutritional and medical environments "get under the skin" via plastic biological systems like the microbiome in early life.
