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The Robinson Research Institute is honoured to host Professor Lindsay Hall through the University of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø International Fellows Award. Professor Hall is Chair of Microbiome Research at the University of Birmingham and a Wellcome Investigator. Her research focuses on defining microbe–microbiota–host interactions during the critical early life developmental window, with an emphasis on how beneficial microbes influence immune, nutritional, and infection-related outcomes.

This talk explores how early life represents a critical window for microbiome establishment, with long-lasting effects on immune, metabolic, and infection-related health outcomes, exploring the role of probiotics in supporting microbiome development in preterm infants, highlighting evidence from their studies showing significant reductions in necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, and overall morbidity following supplementation with beneficial Bifidobacterium strains. She will also discuss the underlying mechanisms by which these microbes and their metabolites modulate host and microbial ecology, including recent findings demonstrating their role in reducing antimicrobial resistance gene carriage. Finally, Professor Hall will consider how broader microbial community interactions contribute to favourable ecological shifts, and how this mechanistic understanding can inform targeted, precision interventions to promote healthier trajectories from the very start of life.