Ana M. Valdes received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, USA, where she specialized in Genetic Epidemiology. She is a Reader and Associate professor at the University of Nottingham. Her research is focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms related to ageing and age related diseases such as osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease. More recently she has embarked on gut microbiome research seeking to understand its impact on human health.