ALTHOUGH DAIRY IS AN IMPORTANT PILLAR OF A HEALTHY DIET, THE MAJORITY OF THE U.S. POPULATION HAS A LOW INTAKE OF DAIRY ALONG WITH OTHER KEY FOOD GROUPS INCLUDING VEGETABLES, FRUITS, AND WHOLE GRAINS. ONE OPPORTUNITY FOR INCREASING DAIRY CONSUMPTION IS THROUGH FERMENTED DAIRY PRODUCTS. EVEN THOUGH FLUID MILK CONSTITUTES THE LARGEST FRACTION OF DAIRY CONSUMED BY THE US POPULATION, INTAKE OF FERMENTED DAIRY PRODUCTS SUCH AS YOGURT AND CHEESE IS INCREASING. THIS CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUGMENTATION OF THE INHERENT BENEFITS OF MILK THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF PROBIOTIC BACTERIA. NUMEROUS STUDIES PERFORMED IN VITRO AND IN VIVO INDICATE THAT FERMENTED DAIRY FOODS, AND PROBIOTIC-CONTAINING DAIRY PRODUCTS IN PARTICULAR, AUGMENT THE BENEFITS OF DAIRY IN PROMOTING HUMAN HEALTH. THEREFORE, WE WILL APPLY MECHANISTIC STUDIES TO ELUCIDATE THE DAIRY-PROBIOTIC CONNECTION IN HUMAN HEALTH. OUR EFFORTS WILL INCLUDE STUDIES DESIGNED TO MEASURE HOW DAIRY FOODS CAN BE APPLIED TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY INTESTINAL FUNCTION, SUPPORT GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS, AND CONFER NORMAL (AS OPPOSED TO ANXIETY-INDUCED) COGNITION/BEHAVIORS, EVEN UNDER TIMES OF STRESS. THE RESULTS WILL BE EVALUATED AND DISSEMINATED THROUGH PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES AS WELL AS AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS WITH THE PUBLIC AND CONSUMER INTEREST GROUPS.