** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE PREVALENCE OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASE RISK FACTORS IS REACHING AN EPIDEMIC WITH THE HIGHEST RISK AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH NUTRIENT INSECURITY. TO COMBAT THIS, TRADITIONAL PLANT BREEDING HAS BEGUN TO SHIFT FROM A CALORIE-CENTRIC APPROACH TO IMPROVING NUTRIENTS IN CROPS. POTATOES ARE AN IDEAL CROP TO BEGIN THIS SHIFT DUE TO THEIR HIGH CONSUMPTION, AFFORDABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE. FURTHERMORE, POTATOES' GENE POOL PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THEIR NOVEL TRAITS IN DEVELOPING CULTIVARS.THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO A HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS FOR DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS WHILE BOOSTING ECONOMIC VIABILITY FOR GROWERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. I HYPOTHESIZE THAT POTATO CARBOHYDRATES AND ASSOCIATED PHYTOCHEMICALS (PCAP) PROVIDE A HIGH-QUALITY SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS THAT IMPROVE GUT HEALTH BY SUPPLYING PREBIOTICS TO THE GUT MICROBIOTA. THE FIELD OF POTATOES' MATRICES IN THE CONTEXT OF GUT HEALTH IS UNDERSTUDIED. WE HAVE TWO GOALS; 1) TO DEVELOP A STANDARD PROFILE OF PCAP, AND 2) TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF PCAP ON GUT HEALTH, USING A MULTI-OMICS APPROACH.THIS RIGOROUS TRAINING WILL PROVIDE ME WITH A DIVERSE SKILLSET, SETTING ME APART AS A DYNAMIC RESEARCHER, WITH A UNIQUE VISION OF FUSION OF FOOD-OMICS, METAGENOMICS, AND PRECLINICAL RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW CROP VARIATION AND THEIR DIETARY COMPONENT AND GUT MICROBIOME INTERACT.WITH ITS FOCUS ON SOLVING CURRENT CHALLENGES IN HUMAN NUTRITION AND HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS PROJECT IS WELL ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OF AFRI NIFA FELLOWSHIP GRANT PROGRAM.