MISSION
We’re working on the cutting edge of nutritional science, microbiome research, and pet health, developing proprietary methods and integrating strain-level microbiomic compositional data, broad categories of functional analysis, and deep health assessment metadata. Our goals are to advance microbiome and nutritional science and develop personalized treatments and nutritional interventions for dogs and cats.

Meet the science team

Dr. Justin Shmalberg
Chief Scientific and Medical Officer
Dr. Shmalberg is one of fewer than 100 Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists in the US, as well as a clinical associate professor at a leading veterinary college. He guides Nom Nom in all recipe formulation and advises on pet nutrition. Always an advocate for better nutrition = better health, Justin decided to go to veterinary school for the well-being of his dog Liberty, and all dogs.
Dr. Shmalberg is one of fewer than 100 Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists in the US, as well as a clinical associate professor at a leading veterinary college. He guides Nom Nom in all recipe formulation and advises on pet nutrition. Always an advocate for better nutrition = better health, Justin decided to go to veterinary school for the well-being of his dog Liberty, and all dogs.

Dr. Ryan Honaker
Director of Microbiology
An expert in microbiome manipulation, infection therapeutics, and microbial community profiling, Dr. Honaker holds a PhD from the University of Colorado at Denver, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University.
An expert in microbiome manipulation, infection therapeutics, and microbial community profiling, Dr. Honaker holds a PhD from the University of Colorado at Denver, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University.

Dr. Caitlyn Getty
Scientific Affairs Veterinarian
Dr. Getty is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist and scientist, serving as Nom Nom's Scientific Affairs Veterinarian. Earning her BS in Animal Science, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she went on to complete her Residency and Fellowship in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Experienced in both pet illness and nutrition optimization, Dr. Getty brings a deep, holistic understanding of better health at the bowl.
Dr. Getty is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist and scientist, serving as Nom Nom's Scientific Affairs Veterinarian. Earning her BS in Animal Science, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she went on to complete her Residency and Fellowship in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Experienced in both pet illness and nutrition optimization, Dr. Getty brings a deep, holistic understanding of better health at the bowl.

Dr. Roshonda Jones
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist
Roshonda received her PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, continuing her postdoctoral training at University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As a trained expert in the gut microbiome, Roshanda’s research focuses on using statistics and informatics to pinpoint the effects of diet on the microbiome as it relates to obesity across both humans and their pets.
Roshonda received her PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, continuing her postdoctoral training at University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As a trained expert in the gut microbiome, Roshanda’s research focuses on using statistics and informatics to pinpoint the effects of diet on the microbiome as it relates to obesity across both humans and their pets.

Dr. Boo Boo Tanprasertsuk
Scientist
Boo Boo received his PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition at Tufts University where his research focused on the relationship between nutrition and cognitive health in older adults. At Nom Nom, he is very excited to expand the scope of the investigation to dogs and cats, including nutrition's roles in health maintenance and disease prevention.
Boo Boo received his PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition at Tufts University where his research focused on the relationship between nutrition and cognitive health in older adults. At Nom Nom, he is very excited to expand the scope of the investigation to dogs and cats, including nutrition's roles in health maintenance and disease prevention.

Dr. Matt Brooks
Small Animal Nutritionist
Dr. Brooks earned his MS in Nutrition at Texas A&M studying fat metabolism. He then earned his PhD in protein and carbohydrate digestion and microbial efficiency in cattle and deer from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He followed this up with a postdoctoral fellowship at NC State University working with trace mineral ingredients in animal feed. He is an expert in comparative animal nutrition that has worked with both domesticated and zoo animals across the country. He is committed to the continued improvement of animal health and well-being through nutritional understanding.
Dr. Brooks earned his MS in Nutrition at Texas A&M studying fat metabolism. He then earned his PhD in protein and carbohydrate digestion and microbial efficiency in cattle and deer from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He followed this up with a postdoctoral fellowship at NC State University working with trace mineral ingredients in animal feed. He is an expert in comparative animal nutrition that has worked with both domesticated and zoo animals across the country. He is committed to the continued improvement of animal health and well-being through nutritional understanding.

LeeAnn Perry
Scientific Data Analyst and Digital Product Manager
LeeAnn received her BA in Molecular Biology from Washington University in St. Louis and her MSc in Neuroscience from Stanford University. She uses statistical and machine learning approaches to uncover insights about pets and their diets.
LeeAnn received her BA in Molecular Biology from Washington University in St. Louis and her MSc in Neuroscience from Stanford University. She uses statistical and machine learning approaches to uncover insights about pets and their diets.

Devon Tate
Associate Scientist
Devon received her BA in Chemistry from Goucher College and her Masters in Nutrition Science and Policy from Tufts University, where she engaged in public health research examining the role of nutrition in health promotion. Here at Nom Nom, she is enthusiastic about bringing her experience and passion for nutrition education to the pet world, and helping to discover new insights about pet health.
Devon received her BA in Chemistry from Goucher College and her Masters in Nutrition Science and Policy from Tufts University, where she engaged in public health research examining the role of nutrition in health promotion. Here at Nom Nom, she is enthusiastic about bringing her experience and passion for nutrition education to the pet world, and helping to discover new insights about pet health.

ASHLEY SIPE
PET HEALTH AND RESEARCH ADVOCATE
Passionate about improving the lives of pets through excellent nutrition and compassionate care, Ashley Sipe earned her BA in Zoology from Michigan State University. As a former small business owner with years of experience caring for both pets and animals in zoos and aquariums, Ashley’s distinct professional background supports our research team at all levels, specifically research logistics, customer experience and scientific collaboration.
Passionate about improving the lives of pets through excellent nutrition and compassionate care, Ashley Sipe earned her BA in Zoology from Michigan State University. As a former small business owner with years of experience caring for both pets and animals in zoos and aquariums, Ashley’s distinct professional background supports our research team at all levels, specifically research logistics, customer experience and scientific collaboration.
PUBLICATIONS
We believe in the work we’re doing, and that it is scientifically sound and beneficial to the field of pet health in general and not just our customers. Which is why we publish the results of our studies in preprints and open-access peer-reviewed journals. Here’s what we’ve done so far as well as what’s coming soon:
Published
Conferences
We believe it’s important to play an active role in the research community and keep current on the progress of all fields to which we contribute. Here are some things that we’re up to:
Upcoming

Petcare Innovation Summit
December 6-7, Boston
Dr. Ryan Honaker will give a talk entitled “Increasing Awareness and Collection of Microbiome Data”.
2022

Veterinary Innovation Summit
September 27-28, Portland, OR
Dr. Ryan Honaker attended to meet with colleagues from across the Mars family and catch up with what's happening in the veterinary space.

5th Microbiome Movement Animal Health & Nutrition
October 11-13, North Carolina
Devon Tate gave a talk titled “A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a novel probiotic and nutraceutical supplement on symptoms of canine atopic dermatitis and the fecal microbiota in privately-owned dogs”.

12th Comparative Animal Nutrition Symposium
July 3-Aug 5, Salt Lake City
Dr. Matt Brooks attended as a secretary on the Board of Directors.

Annual American Society of Animal Science
June 27-30, Oklahoma City
Dr. Matt Brooks was unable to attended, but his talk "The Raw Truth: Feeding Zoo Carnivores" was presented by his co-author.

American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine Forum
June 23-25, Austin
Dr. Caitlyn Getty attended several research presentations surrounding gastroenterology and veterinary nutrition, as well as selected talks involving other specialties. She also networked with members of several different specialties within the ACVIM.

AAVN's 22nd Annual Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium
June 21-22, Austin
This annual symposium features novel research findings regarding veterinary clinical nutrition, diet formulation, and animal nutrition basic science. Dr. Caitlyn Getty attended and networked with members of the academic and industry nutrition communities.

5th Microbiome Connect: Animal
May 21-22, Boston
Dr. Boo Boo Tanprasertsuk chaired the companion animal track and gave a talk titled "Developing microbiome products with the direct-to-consumer approach".

7th Annual Translational Microbiome Conference
April 13-14, Washington DC
Dr. Roshonda Jones networked with professionals at this conference which focused on addressing health needs at a commercial level. As a result of these conversations, a companion animal track was added in which she will give a talk about how our D2C approach can lead to scientific findings that can give insights to pet health.

9th Microbiome & 6th Probiotics R&D & Business Collaboration
March 29-30, San Diego
Devon Tate presented a poster titled "A randomized controlled trial to evalulate impact of a novel probiotic and nutraceutical formulation of symptoms of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) in privately-owned dogs".

7th Annual “Animal Health, Nutrition, and Technology Innovation, Europe
February 21-23, London
Dr. Ryan Honaker chaired a panel entitled “An Emerging Opportunity: The Creation of Microbiome Products for Companion Animals”.
2021

Animal Microbiome Congress
March 2021
From mouth to gut - Improving pet health by microbiomes modulation

Petfood Forum
September 2021
Fresh/human-grade pet food research and executive roundtable: Why digestibility, the microbiome and other factors differ

4th Animal Gut Health & Nutrition Summit
October 2021
What Lessons Have Companies Learnt from Commercializing Their Products?
2020

Petfood Forum 2020
Dr. Justin Shmalberg and Dr. Ryan Honaker gave a presentation titled “A Path to Personalization: A Direct-to-Consumer Scientific Experience”.

Animal Microbiome and Nutritional Health Congress
Dr. Aashish Jha gave a talk titled “Developing Insights on Health, Disease and Products from Companion Animal Microbiomes Using Shotgun Metagenomics and Direct to Consumer Tests”

Nutrition 2020
Dr. Boo Boo Tanprasertsuk presented our work on the effect of our probiotics on the gut microbiome and health outcomes in healthy dogs.

Gates Foundation Microbiome Meeting
Dr. Aashish Jha attended to stay updated on the newest science in the microbiome research field.

Microbiome Movement: Drug Development Europe
Dr. Ryan Honaker attended the conference and learned about the best ways to turn microbiome insights into products for pet parents.
2019

The 36th Annual International Canine Sports Medicine Symposium
Dr. Justin Shmalberg talked about the nutritional needs of working and sporting dogs.

Microbiome Movement: Animal Health and Nutrition
Dr. Boo Boo Tanprasertsuk attended the conference to stay updated on the newest science on animal health and nutrition.

Petfood Forum Europe
Dr. Justin Schmalberg and Dr. Ryan Honaker discussed Nom Nom’s approach to data and science.

The 4th Annual Microbiome Summit
Dr. Aashish Jha and LeeAnn Perry presented our work on the characterization of gut microbiome in household pets in the USA.

Animal Microbiome Congress Europe
Dr. Ryan Honaker talked about the exciting things in the microbiome sphere and how Nom Nom contributes the advancement of science.
Outreach and Education
We’re excited about what we’re discovering and developing at Nom Nom. We love to talk about it, and people are listening. Here is a sampling of invited talks, podcasts, press, and other buzz.

Interview with Nom Nom’s Chief Nutrition Officer, Dr. Justin Shmalberg.
Justin talked about the nutritional needs of working and sporting dogs
Today’s Veterinary Practice
Justin’s perspectives on the evaluation of fresh diets for cats and dogs
Alicia’s Holistic Pet Wellness Podcast

Sarah Ondrako podcast

Molecules, Microbes, and Multiomics Podcast, DNA Genotek (8/2020)

Driving Microbiome Science to Improve Animal Nutrition and Quality of Life (sponsored by DNA Genotek)

Here are some highlights
- A review of our study on the microbiome transitions while changing dog foods.
- How we’re using microbiome research to advance personalized nutrition
- A review of our study that identified risk factors for canine obesity
- Discussion of one of our dog studies and its implication for how calories are calculated
- Summary of Ryan and Justin’s talk on Nom Nom’s approach to data and science at Petfood Forum Europe 2019
Research partnerships
Are you a veterinarian, pet health company, or research team? Do you have a microbiome project you’re interested in running? Have a product you’d like to see tested? We’re always looking to improve pet health and we love collaboration. Drop us a line at research@nomnomnow.com.
We have some ongoing partnerships with groups that share our passion. Here’s who we’re currently working with:
Professor Kelly Swanson, PhD
A Kraft Heinz Company Endowed Professor in Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Swanson is an expert in companion animal nutrition, nutrigenomics and microbiomics. We have partnered with his group on several studies, adding microbiome sequencing and analysis to several beautifully designed studies in dogs and cats. See our publication section for more details.
Professor Aashish Jha, PhD
Dr. Jha is currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at New York University Abu Dhabi. His research focuses on genomics and microbiomics of humans and companion animals and how they influence health. Aashish was our first head of bioinformatics and currently is serving on our Scientific Advisory Board, and we continue to pursue various studies and analyses with him.
Diversigen
We utilize Diversigen’s cutting-edge metagenomic sequencing techniques for every sample. This partnership provides accurate and in-depth customer-facing microbiome profiling, powers our pet health-focused microbiome studies, and drives our product development and validation.
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Current products

- Full-spectrum probiotics for dogs
- GI-targeted probiotics for dogs
- Full-spectrum probiotics for cats
- Gut microbiome testing kit
Check out our current line of supplemental products, each formulated by our expert science and nutrition R&D team: