Srihaan Edla
Built a novel Bayesian triangulated model connecting stress, gut microbiome, and metabolism in adolescents using three independent cohorts. Published at IEEE CIBCB 2026 in Greece.
Where Srihaan Started
His Background
- • 10th grader at Vista Del Lago High School, Folsom, CA
- • Attended UPenn Biomedical Research Academy
- • Interned with Dr. Goranthala in clinical research
- • State-level Science Olympiad competitor
- • Hospital volunteer
- • No prior publication or computational research experience
His Goals
- • Publish a peer-reviewed research paper
- • Explore the gut-brain axis and adolescent mental health
- • Compete at ISEF
- • Build a competitive edge for college admissions
- • Develop real research and writing skills
The Problem He Wanted to Solve
Adolescence is a critical period for mental health, yet the complex interactions between stress, gut microbiota, and brain metabolism are poorly understood. Existing studies are fragmented — focusing on isolated biological or psychological domains — and cannot capture the bidirectional pathways of the gut-brain axis. Srihaan wanted to build an integrative framework that connects behavioral, microbial, and neurobiological evidence to understand how these systems coregulate adolescent mental health.
The Research
Working with YRI mentor Dr. Swetha MP, Srihaan designed a novel multi-cohort triangulation study integrating survey data, metagenomic sequencing, and neuroimaging scans across three independent adolescent cohorts. He used a Bayesian Triangulated Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework to bridge these separate datasets into a unified model of the stress-gut-metabolism axis.
Bayesian Triangulated Modeling for Stress-Gut-Metabolism Interactions in Adolescents
Fragmented research on gut-brain axis interactions in adolescents fails to capture bidirectional pathways between stress, microbiome, and metabolism
Bayesian hierarchical SEM integrating behavioral surveys (N=83), metagenomic KEGG pathway data (N=57), and neuroimaging from the Queensland Twin Adolescent Brain dataset (N=68)
Physiological stress associated with GI distress (β=0.398), gut microbiome as metabolic hub (β=0.767), stress-sleep reinforcing correlation (r=0.74)
First integrative framework connecting behavioral, microbial, and neurobiological evidence for adolescent gut-brain interactions
Multi-Cohort Triangulation at 15 Years Old
What makes Srihaan's work exceptional is the methodological sophistication. Rather than relying on a single dataset, he integrated three independent adolescent cohorts spanning behavioral, metagenomic, and neuroimaging data. The Bayesian SEM framework enables estimation of direct, indirect, and feedback effects — capturing relationships that linear analytical approaches miss entirely. He identified the gut microbiome as a key metabolic hub where microbial genomic potential (β=0.767) drives metabolic completeness and stable neural regulation. This level of integrative analysis is typically seen in PhD-level dissertation work.
Independent Cohorts
Metabolic Hub β
Stress-Sleep r
Total Subjects
The Outcome
Accepted at IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
IEEE CIBCB 2026, Greece
2026
Bayesian Triangulated Modeling for Stress-Gut-Metabolism Interactions in Adolescents
Accepted for Presentation & Publication
Interested in gut-brain axis research but no publication, computational modeling, or metagenomic analysis experience
Published a multi-cohort Bayesian SEM framework at IEEE CIBCB in Greece — integrating behavioral, microbial, and neuroimaging data
The Bigger Picture
Years old — Srihaan tackled PhD-level Bayesian structural equation modeling as a 10th grader
Presenting at IEEE CIBCB 2026 on the international stage alongside computational biology researchers
Independent cohorts integrated — behavioral, metagenomic, and neuroimaging — a triangulation approach most grad students never attempt
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