[December 1, 2021 – Parker, CO] Amanda Brooks, PhD, Director of Research and Scholarly Activity, was nominated for and awarded full membership into the Sigma Xi Honor Society for Scientific Research, one of the oldest international organizations dedicated to science and engineering, based on her extensive research endeavors.

Part of Dr. Brooks’ research focuses on how alterations in gut bacteria, often due to medication, can change both a person’s mental state and their physical well-being. More specifically, explained Dr. Brooks, she has multiple ongoing projects centered around the impact of the gut microbiome on osteoarthritis and the particular biological changes that occur in the joint.

In addition to membership to Sigma Xi, Dr. Brooks also joined the editorial board of Antibiotics and is in the process of editing their special issue of “Antimicrobial Materials.” She is also on the editorial board for the Journal of Clinical Medicine, assisting with the section on orthopedics.

On the publication front, Dr. Brooks was recently published in Frontiers of Microbiology for her study on selective tumor localization via intravenous delivery and in Future Microbiology for her research collaboration with Benjamin Brooks, PhD, Assistant Director of Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Program, about how modern genetic engineering techniques could be used to customize bacteria to distinguish tumors from host cells.

For the past two years, Dr. Brooks’ Office of Research and Scholarly Activity at RVU has also hosted an annual Research Week that allows students and faculty to pitch research ideas for mentorship and funding opportunities. Her office has also collaborated with RVU’s Military Medicine Program on both campuses to realize a significant number of research projects.