In the news
Coverage, conversations, and recognition.
A growing collection of podcast interviews, feature articles, and awards from the people watching the microbiome space closely.
“Tales of a Startup: BrilliantBiome.”
A long-form feature from UC San Diego on how Brilliant Biome started, the science behind precision microbiome medicine, and what it takes to build a research-backed health company out of a PhD program.
Read the feature →All coverage
Articles, interviews, and conversations.
The Microbiome-Neuroscience Connection
Sierra discusses the gut-brain axis, the malaria experience that pulled her into microbiome research, and what cutting-edge sequencing is unlocking.
From Preclinical Research to Clinical Applications and Entrepreneurship
The path from microbiome research at UCSD to founding Brilliant Biome — what changes, what doesn’t, and what nobody warns you about.
Elevate Your Brand with Dr. Sierra Simpson
An honest look at building a microbiome health brand — the mission, the early customers, and the why behind personalized gut testing.
Sierra — What the Gut?!
A digestible, no-jargon conversation about the microbiome, the gut-brain connection, and the gut-skin axis.
UC 2021 Startup Innovation Challenge — Social Impact Award winner
Brilliant Biome named among the UC system’s 2021 startup honorees, taking the Social Impact Award for applying microbiome precision medicine to addiction.
Tales of a Startup: BrilliantBiome
The full UCSD profile: founding story, team, work-life realities, and what it takes to turn microbiome science into a company.
Recognition
Awards & honors.
Pitch competitions and challenges that have backed our work.
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge
2nd place overall · Qualcomm Wireless Track winner
One of the world’s leading student-led social impact competitions, awarding ventures that pair commercial viability with measurable good.
View finalists →UCSD MedTech Accelerator
1st place · IGE MedTech pitch competition
Run by UC San Diego’s Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, supporting early-stage medtech ventures with funding, mentorship, and clinical validation.
Learn more →AWS Startup Competition
2021 winner · $100K+ in compute credits, $15K non-dilutive grant
Selected by Amazon Web Services for technical and financial support to scale Brilliant Biome’s microbiome sequencing and machine-learning infrastructure.
AWS Activate →Google for Startups Accelerator
2024 cohort
Selected for Google’s equity-free accelerator program providing technical mentorship, cloud credits, and product guidance from Googlers across AI, infrastructure, and growth.
Google for Startups →UCSD Accelerating Innovations to Market (AIM) Grant
2022 recipient · Office of Innovation & Commercialization
Awarded to translate UC San Diego microbiome research into a clinical diagnostic for identifying patients at risk of persistent opioid use — with structured mentoring, funding, and access to industry partners.
Read the announcement →Born in California
Invited startup · UCI Beall Applied Innovation
Brilliant Biome among the standout startups invited to the premier showcase of research-driven ventures emerging from all ten University of California campuses.
About the showcase →For press & media
Writing about microbiome science? Let’s talk.
Founder available for podcasts, expert commentary, and feature interviews. Press kit and high-res assets available on request.