Microbites: Pioneering Personalized Mental Health Care Through Research

Mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being, yet it is often overlooked despite its profound impact on individuals and society. With mental health issues becoming increasingly prevalent, there is a growing interest in holistic and data-driven approaches to treatment. That is what Alyssa Ma, a rising senior from Vancouver, Canada is determined to achieve. Her extensive work in research has driven her to build her open-source research project, Microbites, which leverages diet and machine learning to enhance mental health outcomes.

Alyssa Ma, selected as 1 of 5 Canadian high school students to attend the United Nations General Assembly 2024.

Alyssa first became interested in researching biology through her interactions with seniors at a senior home where she played cello along with her music ensemble. Speaking to those with Parkinson's and learning about how their life experiences changed inspired her to study neurodegenerative diseases. Her passion and dedication led her to win a Silver Medal and the Genome British Columbia Award on her project surrounding the epigenetic reader BRD9 and its expression in Parkinson’s Disease at the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair in April. This recognition affirmed her belief that she could use research to make a meaningful impact on people's lives and drive positive change in the world.

Alyssa performing cello at one such senior home, where her interactions inspired her research in mental health, leading to the development of her project, Microbites, focusing on improving mental well-being through innovative approaches.

Alyssa alongside her award-winning science fair project for her research on Parkinson's Disease, driven by her commitment to finding solutions for neurodegenerative conditions. Her work is part of a broader mission to improve mental health care through innovative research and personalized approaches.

Motivated to create even more change, Alyssa looked to other research topics and sought to identify gaps in current research. She became particularly focused on understanding how early interventions and innovative therapies could improve the quality of life for individuals with mental health, as her own struggles with anxiety often had superficial solutions that were expensive and inaccessible. Alyssa wanted to see if we could teach people to modify daily habits such as everyday nutrition to improve mental health and thus, the open-source research project, Microbites, was born. 

Microbites is a project focused on exploring the connections between microbiome science, dietary intervention, and machine learning to improve mental health care. The initiative aims to understand how chronic stress and antibiotic-induced changes in the gut microbiome affect mental health, with the goal of developing personalized and precision treatments. Through advanced research techniques and data analytics, Microbites seeks to create a Diet Recommendation System that offers tailored dietary plans to enhance mental well-being.

As a nominated member of the global leadership team at Future of Sciences and a member of the Catalysing Research Institute, Alyssa plans to expand her project internationally and foster collaborations with leading researchers and institutions to enhance the global impact of her work.

Alyssa's journey exemplifies the transformative power of dedicated research and the potential of young scientists to effect lasting change. Her work underscores the importance of addressing mental health issues with innovative approaches, proving that breakthroughs often begin with individuals who are willing to challenge conventional methods and seek new solutions. By merging insights from diet, mental health, and technology, Alyssa has created a pathway for a more holistic and personalized approach to mental well-being, through a simple interest that she took the initiative to develop.

Through Alyssa’s story, we are reminded that each of us has the potential to contribute to the advancement of the world. Through collaboration, curiosity, and a commitment to innovation, we can all help build a future where anything, not just mental health, is better understood and managed. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge reinforces the fact that anyone can contribute to meaningful change and proves that no dream is too big to achieve.