Laboratory members
Dr. Maryam Kebbe, PEADS Lab Director
Dr. Kebbe is an Assistant Professor who specializes in nutrition and maternal and child health. She received her Doctorate in Medical Sciences from the University of Alberta’s Department of Pediatrics. She completed postdoctoral training in the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford first, followed by the Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana. Dr. Kebbe joined the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick in January 2023, where she directs the Perinatal-Pediatric Health & Development Studies (PEADS) Laboratory.
Dr. Kebbe first established her roots as a nutrition and behavioural scientist and innovated solutions within clinical settings to manage obesity, from infancy through adulthood. Today, she continually advances our understanding of the role of early life factors in promoting maternal, infant, and child health. Specifically, her research program investigates the connections between early life nutrition, physical activity, metabolism, and the gut microbiome, aiming to enhance metabolic health and prevent obesity from infancy through childhood.
Highlights of her research findings include: (i) investigating how gut metabolic byproducts drive inflammatory and metabolic responses during pregnancy, including substrate utilization and resting energy expenditure, (ii) discovering a potential role for human milk cytokines in priming gut microbiome establishment in infants, and (iii) most recently, examining how dietary intake source shifts the infant gut microbiome.
In her current track record, Dr. Kebbe has led 46 peer-reviewed publications, and 1 book chapter on human milk feeding, delivered >130 presentations, and been involved in >40 media communications or knowledge translation activities. Dr. Kebbe has also received numerous awards and recognitions for her research and scientific contributions, including the 2024 UNB Merit Award, Faculty of Kinesiology Teaching Excellence Award, Health in Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Best Publication Award, Banting Discovery Award, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation-JELF Award. When she is not professing, Dr. Kebbe enjoys travelling and outdoor activities.
Current student members
Graduate students
Jasleen Dev | MSc Kinesiology | 2024 – 2026
Project: Effects of a postpartum mindful eating intervention on maternal and infant dietary quality and feeding behaviors
Jasleen received a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of the Fraser Valley. She is pursuing her MSc degree in Kinesiology in the PEADS Lab. As a registered kinesiologist with the Canadian Kinesiology Alliance and a qualified MB-EAT (Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training) instructor, she values the transformative power of exercise science in improving lives.
Leading the Mindful Moms, Mindful Meals project, Jasleen is driven by her passion for empowering women during the profound transition of motherhood. She is dedicated to helping mothers find a balance between self-compassion and the pressures of postpartum life.
Heidi Lauwerijssen | MSc Kinesiology | 2024 – 2026
Project: Characterizing infant and toddler dietary intake and quality across Canada
Heidi received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of New Brunswick. She is pursuing her MSc degree in Kinesiology in the PEADS Lab.
She is particularly interested in nutrition research, generational nutrition and how nutrition can shape the younger generation. Heidi believes that proper nutrition is essential for everyone, and establishing healthy eating patterns in early life can have lasting benefits for overall well-being.
Honours students
Sarah Bingham | BSc Kinesiology (Honours) | 2024 – 2025
Project: Gestational diabetes mellitus and immunoprotective components in human milk
Sarah is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, completing her honours research in the PEADS Lab.
Her project focuses on the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus on human milk composition in the Canadian population.
Lauren Lockhart | BSc Kinesiology (Honours) | 2024 – 2025
Project: Parental perceptions of and adherence to Canada’s Food Guide eating practices for toddlers: A Canada-wide study
Lauren is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, completing her honours research in the PEADS Lab.
Her research interests lie in public health nutrition. She is passionate about expanding knowledge of nutritional practices in parents and children.
Practicum students
Élodie Martin | BSc Kinesiology | 2024 – 2025
Project: Evolution of the intestinal microbiome, inflammatory markers, and body composition across lactation stages in neonates
Élodie is a third-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, completing a practicum in the PEADS Lab. She has the intention of furthering her education in midwifery to become a midwife.
In the PEADS Lab, she collaborates closely with mothers and their infants as part of the Healthy Babies Program, which investigates human milk composition, including its microbiome. This practicum offers a hands-on experience that enables her to apply her academic knowledge in a practical context relevant to her academic interests and future career.
Directed study students
Alana Gaunce | BSc Kinesiology | 2024 – 2025
Project: Evolution of the intestinal microbiome, inflammatory markers, and body composition across lactation stages in neonates
Alana is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, completing a directed study with Dr. Kebbe in the PEADS Lab.
Alana’s research focuses on the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus on human milk components. She is very passionate about expanding current knowledge pertaining to gestational diabetes.
Volunteers
Avery Allison | BSc Kinesiology
Reem Mattar | BSc Biochemistry
Jocelyn Reid | BSc Kinesiology
Kami Sadien | BSc Biology
Sumou Shawesh | BSc Biology-Psychology
Previous student members
Honours students
- Fionnuala Katherine Maguire | BSc Kinesiology (Honours) | 2023 – 2024
Project: Maternal perceptions of Canadian infant feeding guidelines and solid food introduction - Peighton Wynter Johnson | BSc Kinesiology (Honours) | 2023 – 2024
Project: Effects of interpregnancy interval on pregnancy health outcomes
Practicum students
- Tamara Gray and Erika Blackmore | BSc Kinesiology | 2024
Project: Evolution of the intestinal microbiome, inflammatory markers, and body composition across lactation stages in neonates
Directed study students
- Benjamin Mark Perrett | BSc Biology | 2023 – 2024
Project: Intake of homemade versus commercial foods on gut microbiome diversity and composition in infants - Cate Dauphinee and Owen Lohnes | BSc Kinesiology | 2024
Project: Scoping review on protein supplementation and the gut microbiome, metabolites, immunity, and inflammation in adults
Interns
- Luiz Ceccon | BSc Medicine | Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba | Brazil 2024
Project: Characterizing the nutritional content of packaged foods for infants in Canada
Volunteers
Erica Cluff | BSc Kinesiology | 2023
Denisha Coelho | BSc Kinesiology | 2023 - 2024
Quinn Eberts | BSc Kinesiology | 2024
Emma Murray | BSc Kinesiology | 2024
Ella Myers | BSc Kinesiology | 2024
Become a laboratory member
The PEADS Lab accepts applications from undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral trainees.
The PEADS Lab offers a stimulating research environment on maternal and child health through multidisciplinary lenses (nutrition, physical activity, metabolism, gut microbiome).
Students interested in joining our lab group should have a strong interest in maternal and child health and related lenses. Students must also work well independently, have excellent work ethic, attention to detail, and time management skills, be open-minded and flexible, and be passionate about the work that we do.
Volunteers are also welcome. These positions normally involve helping a particular graduate student collect data for their thesis. The number of hours per week varies depending on the project.
If one of these opportunities sounds like the right fit for you, contact Dr. Maryam Kebbe, lab director, at maryam.kebbe@unb.ca. Be sure to explain your research interests, alongside an up-to-date CV and transcripts.
Funding
The Faculty of Kinesiology and UNB offer entry awards and teaching assistantship opportunities. Exact amounts vary depending on the given year and applicant GPA. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to seek external support. Many graduate students have received external funding from the following sources:
- Canada Graduate Scholarship CGS M (CIHR) – $17,500 for one year
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR D) – $35,000/year for three years
- CIHR Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Awarded to outstanding PhD students. – $50,000/year for three years
- ResearchNB Master’s, Doctoral, and Postdoctoral Scholarships – $17,000/year for two years (MSc), $25,500/year for three years (PhD), $40,000/year for two years (Postdoc)
- Maritime SPOR Support Unit Trainee Support Program – $10,000 for one year (MSc), $15,000/year for two years (PhD), $20,000/year for two years (Postdoc)
