PhD, Nursing / Genomics, University of Pittsburgh, 2015
Research Interests
As a bedside nurse in a Level III NICU, I witnessed the importance of breast milk and also noticed great variation in both volumes and characteristics between new mothers. This led to my dissertation work at the University of Pittsburgh, which examined maternal interleukin polymorphisms and subsequent milk variability and infant outcomes. Specifically, milk interleukin variability was associated with fecal calprotectin, a biomarker of intestinal inflammation that has been tied to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This work culminated in my postdoctoral fellowship, which tied maternal lifestyle (sleep and stress) with breast milk volume.
My current program of research at the University of South Florida College of Nursing leverages my molecular and sleep expertise to understand if and how breast milk circadian rhythms predict milk composition and subsequent infant outcomes.
Awards/Honors
40 Under 40 (Pittsburgh Magazine - 2021)
Outstanding Young Alumni Award (University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing - 2021)
Memberships
Fellow (American Academy of Nursing, 2023 - Present)
Associate Member (International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation, 2018 - Present)
Recent Publications
Baumgartel, K., Saint Fleur, A., Prescott, S., Fanfan, D., Elliott, A., Yoo, J., Harrington, M., Koerner, R., Ozorio-Dutra, S., Duffy. A., Groer, M.W. Social Determinants of Health Among Pregnant Hispanic Women and Associated Psychological OutcomesJournal of Racial and Ethnic Disparities. , 2023.
Baumgartel, K., Stevens, M., Prescott, S., Saint-Fleur, A., & Groer, M.W The Human Milk Metabolome: A Scoping Literature ReviewJournal of Human Lactation. 39(2) , 2023.
Surendra, S., Wira, C., Prescott, S., Mutka, T., Baumgartel, K., Yoo, J., Morgan, H., Postola, T., Seyfang, A., Gostner, J., Fusch, D., Kim, K, Groer, M. Tryptophan Metabolism/Immune Alterations in Pregnant Hispanic Women with Chronic Toxoplasma Gondii Infection.American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 90(3) , 2023.
Baumgartel, K., Caplan, E., Glover, C., Louis, J. Schrieber, J. A Feasibility Study to Assess Sleep and Subsequent Breast Milk Volume Among Mothers with Hospitalized InfantsJournal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing. 37(4) , 2023.
Prescott, S., Dreisbach, C., Baumgartel, K., Koerner, R., Gyamfi, A., Canellas, M., St. Fleur, A., Henderson, W., & Trinchieri, G Impact of Intrapartum Antibiotic Prophylsaxis on Offspring MicrobiotaFron, Pediatri.. 10(9) , 2021.
Spatz, D., Baumgartel, K Not All Donor Milk is Equal: Impact of Processing Methods on Bioactive Compounds. Neonatal Intensive CareNeonatal Intensive Care. 23(3) , 2021.
Davis J, Baumgartel, K., Morowitz M, Giangrangrasso V, Demirci J. The Role of Human Milk in Decreasing Necrotizing Enterocolitis Through Modulation of the Infant Gut Microbiome: A Scoping ReviewJournal of Human Lactation. 36(4) , 2020.
Wen G, Baumgartel, K., Alexander S. The Gut Microbiome as a Component of the Gut-Brain Axis in Cognitive HealthBiol Res Nurs. 22(4) , 2020.
Baumgartel, K.L., Deem, M. Promoting the Use of Pasteurized Human Donor Milk in the NICU: Benefits, Access, and Parental ChoiceNursing 2019. 49(12) , 2019.
