Research investigating the relationships between the intestinal microbiome ecosystem and human health outcomes is a new, rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary field. Dr. Achsah Dorsey engages with this emerging field by applying evolutionary medicine and embodiment theory to advance scientific understanding of our integrated environmental and physiological systems. She is expanding her research in Peru by examining the relationship between anemia, inflammation status, and household precarity. More specifically, Dr. Dorsey is investigating the association between iron status, pathogenic exposure, and microbiota composition to explore when anemia is a disorder or defense and the adaptive potential of the host and microbiome within different environmental contexts.