Hearing from the Author: Chris Allen

targetkidsstudy
Jan 21
3 min read

A new segment from TARGet Kids! Here we will connect with authors to hear a bit more about the work they've collectively published to connect readers with the findings. Our first interview – Chris Allen.

In 2021, Chris Allen pursued a post-graduate degree in Integrated Immunology at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. During this time, he collaborated with Dr. Holm Uhlig and members of the CHAIN Network to conduct a project investigating mechanisms of childhood mortality in low- and middle-income countries. His research focused on a condition called Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), which is common in children from low-resource settings, likely due to increased exposure to pathogens caused by poor sanitation. In November 2025, the findings of this project were published in Nature Communications. This interview provides a brief discussion of the findings and how they may be applied to TARGet Kids! Research.

Read the full publication

Q: You recently published a study looking at predictors of mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Can you explain this research and your findings?

It’s a collaboration with colleagues from the University of Oxford and the CHAIN Network. For those who may not know, the aim of CHAIN is to improve care for vulnerable children in resource-limited settings.

The main finding of the study was that the levels of a biomarker that is found on the outer layer of some bacteria called lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are a predictor of mortality in acutely ill children. So, the main takeaway is that the marker identifies children at the greatest risk of dying after hospitalization. And then the study also explored immune mechanisms around this increased risk, so we suggested, for example, some immune system pathways that might be important for LPS associated mortality.

Q: How does this study connect to TARGet Kids' broader goal of improving children's health in Canada and across the world?

I think the main transferable portion is related to the mechanism. As I mentioned, the main findings of this research focus on childhood mortality in low resource settings; but the mechanism is an important one that merits some exploration in high-income settings.

LPS is classically linked to sepsis and systemic inflammation or is used as a marker of how easily things pass through the gut (gut permeability) – that's what a lot of the research in this area focuses on. Our findings suggest that mortality risk is closely related to chronic intestinal inflammation and impaired gut function, and interacts with nutriti

onal status. I think the mechanisms around that are what’s transferrable to a broader context, as it suggests that the combination of nutritional status and compromised gut integrity may have implications for chronic intestinal and metabolic conditions affecting children in high income settings. So, I think it’s worthwhile to investigate LPS and its role in chronic conditions in high income settings to see whether it may influence how long-term illnesses develop or worsen.

Definitions:

Biomarker: A distinctive biological or biologically derived indicator of a process, event, or condition (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
Chronic: Continuing or occurring again and again for a long time (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
Immune mechanisms/system: The bodily functions that protect the body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues by producing the immune response (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS): A large molecule consisting of lipids and sugars joined by chemical bonds (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
Metabolic Conditions: Any of the diseases or disorders that disrupt normal metabolism, the process of converting food to energy on a cellular level (Britannica).
Sepsis: A life-threatening condition that happens when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection, causing organ dysfunction (WHO).
Systemic Inflammation: A widespread inflammatory response in the body that can be triggered by infectious agents, such as bacteria and viruses, as well as noninfectious causes (Pathobiology of Human Disease).

Q: You recently published a study looking at predictors of mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Can you explain this research and your findings?

It’s a collaboration with colleagues from the University of Oxford and the CHAIN Network. For those who may not know, the aim of CHAIN is to improve care for vulnerable children in resource-limited settings.

Q: How does this study connect to TARGet Kids' broader goal of improving children's health in Canada and across the world?

I think the main transferable portion is related to the mechanism. As I mentioned, the main findings of this research focus on childhood mortality in low resource settings; but the mechanism is an important one that merits some exploration in high-income settings.

Definitions:

Biomarker: A distinctive biological or biologically derived indicator of a process, event, or condition (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Chronic: Continuing or occurring again and again for a long time (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Immune mechanisms/system: The bodily functions that protect the body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues by producing the immune response (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS): A large molecule consisting of lipids and sugars joined by chemical bonds (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Metabolic Conditions: Any of the diseases or disorders that disrupt normal metabolism, the process of converting food to energy on a cellular level (Britannica).

Sepsis: A life-threatening condition that happens when the body’s immune system has an extreme response to an infection, causing organ dysfunction (WHO).

Systemic Inflammation: A widespread inflammatory response in the body that can be triggered by infectious agents, such as bacteria and viruses, as well as noninfectious causes (Pathobiology of Human Disease).