Three key experiences have shaped my drive to challenge the status quo. First, losing my sister at a young age due to a medical mistake made me deeply unwilling to accept things being done incorrectly—especially when we have the science to do better. When knowledge isn’t applied, people suffer. That is why I am committed to ensuring people have access to evidence-based choices and the education to make informed decisions about their health.
Second, being raised by a single mum taught me resilience. Watching her work full-time to support us made me determined to push forward, no matter the obstacles. I have faced my fair share of rejections, but like her, I see them as fuel. Whether in probiotics, the food industry, or clinical practice, I believe that if we can do better, we should—by translating the latest science into real-world impact.
I have dedicated my career to challenging misinformation and making evidence-based choices more accessible. It is frustrating to see health trends gaining traction online with no scientific backing—often at a high financial cost and, in some cases, causing real harm.
Finally, my first real connection to gut health was not a positive one. During my nutrition and dietetics degree, my grandma was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I watched her go through chemotherapy and surgery, feeling frustrated with the gut for what it had done to her. She passed away in 2009, during my final year at university. Not long after, I sat in a lecture on the early warning signs of bowel cancer and couldn’t help but wonder—if we had spoken more openly about gut health, could her story have ended differently? That question has stayed with me ever since.
These experiences have shaped not just my mindset but the impact I strive to create. Losing my sister instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility—to ensure that when we have the science to do better, we use it. That is why I have dedicated my career to challenging misinformation and making evidence-based choices more accessible. It is frustrating to see health trends gaining traction online with no scientific backing—often at a high financial cost and, in some cases, causing real harm. My mission is to cut through the noise and give people access to solutions grounded in real science, not just clever marketing.
Growing up with a single mum taught me resilience—an essential trait when pushing against the status quo. I have faced my fair share of rejections, but I have learned to use setbacks as fuel. When you know you are fighting for something that genuinely helps people, you don’t stop.
Losing my grandmother to bowel cancer made gut health an unavoidable theme in both my personal and professional life. Whether working with hospital patients, Olympic athletes, or high-performing professionals, everything kept leading back to the gut. The more I uncovered, the more I felt responsible for bringing this science into the spotlight. Now, gut health is a mainstream conversation, and I am proud to have played a role in driving that evolution.
Challenging the norm is not easy—it takes time and relentless hard work - and I have faced many rejections along the way. But I think that when you’re passionate about something, you persevere, and that persistence pays off.
There have been some tough moments - I faced 11 rejections for SMART STRAINS® alone, and there were times when I thought it was never going to happen. But what has kept me going is the incredible community that has rallied around this mission. I’ll never forget a message someone sent me on Instagram not long after I had received yet another rejection. It said, “Create the change; don’t accept the status quo”. It reminded me exactly why I do what I do. Those moments of impact, knowing that the work is helping real people, make all the challenges worthwhile.
Another big driver for me has been working with patients at The Gut Health Clinic. Seeing firsthand that I could not always give them the solutions they needed and deserved was frustrating, but it also fueled my determination to push for better. That is what keeps me moving forward, and there is no better feeling than seeing someone transform their whole life through their gut - because it really is that powerful.
I believe we need a better translation of science into the market more broadly. Too often, businesses in the health space—whether it is food, supplements or beyond—are driven by finance and trends rather than real clinical or scientific expertise.
To address some of these challenges, I believe we need a better translation of science into the market more broadly. Too often, businesses in the health space—whether it is food, supplements or beyond—are driven by finance and trends rather than real clinical or scientific expertise. Many founders don’t have the hands-on experience of working with patients, so they don’t always see the gaps between what is being marketed and the science-backed solutions that actually work.
To change this, we need more collaboration between business leaders, practising clinicians, and scientists. If companies took the time to consult those on the front lines of healthcare, we could ensure that the products hitting the market are backed by science and give people what they really need rather than just another ‘hype’ product.
One of the milestones I am most proud of is Bio&Me reaching its five-year mark—a huge achievement, considering most start-ups don’t make it past their first year, let alone five, with around 60% of UK businesses failing in the first three years on average. Not only have we survived, but we have also thrived, and we are helping to offer real gut-nourishing alternatives to UK consumers to help support their health in the long term—gut diversity is linked to longevity and reduced risk factors in many diseases. Seeing just how many people we have been able to reach through this has been incredible. We have fed around 50 million tummies—a number that truly reflects the impact we are making—and it never fails to blow me away!
Launching SMART STRAINS® earlier this year is a particularly special milestone for me, too. The idea of targeted live bacteria supplements has been on my mind since my PhD, and finally bringing this to life—after years of research, development, and persistence is a huge moment. It is about shifting the live bacteria supplement industry towards real, science-backed solutions, and I could not be more excited for what is to come.
I think challenging the industry’s status quo is what makes me a Disruptor. A great example of this is my latest venture with SMART STRAINS®. The market is flooded with daily live bacteria supplements, heavily marketed as essential for gut health—yet the science simply doesn’t back this generalised approach. You need to take the right strain, at the right time, in the right way.
According to a research survey, nearly half of UK consumers (46%) have tried live bacteria supplements, with one in five spending an average of £130 a year. That is a staggering £1.144 billion annually. And yet, 77% report no significant benefits. That is not because they don’t work, but because we are not using them correctly. That is where SMART STRAINS® come in. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we focus on targeted, scientifically backed strains designed for specific health outcomes—because the right strain, at the right time, in the right way—and only when you need it—is what truly delivers results.
Dr Megan Rossi, founder of The Gut Health Doctor, is one of the most influential international gut health specialists. As a registered dietitian and nutritionist for the last 15 years, she has an award-winning PhD in probiotics, which was recognised for its contribution to science, receiving the Dean’s Award for outstanding research. Megan has also published multiple Sunday Times best-selling books: Eat Yourself Healthy (UK, Aus & Europe), Love Your Gut (US & Canada), Eat More, Live Well (UK, Aus & Europe) and How To Eat More Plants (US & Canada).
As a leading Research Fellow at King’s College London, Megan is currently investigating nutrition-based therapies in gut health, receiving over £3 million in research funding and publishing over 50 scientific papers to date.
In 2019, Megan founded The Gut Health Clinic, leading a team of gut-specialist dietitians with virtual and face-to-face clinics in London and Manchester. She has also created the multi-award-winning gut health food brand Bio&Me to bridge the gap between science and the food industry. More recently, in 2025, she founded SMART STRAINS®, a family of four clinically proven, condition-specific live bacteria products.
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