New Webinar Series Explores Relationship Between Microbiome and Health

New Webinar Series Explores Relationship Between Microbiome and Health

The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences is partnering with the international scientific journal Microbiota and Host to launch "Microbiome Matters," a new webinar series exploring the relationship between the human microbiome and health.

The series kicks off Tuesday, April 7, at noon with a session titled "From Observation to Intervention: Insights from the Gut Microbiome in IBD," featuring Dr. Harry Sokol, a professor in the Gastroenterology Department of the Saint Antoine Hospital in Paris, the co-director of the Microbiota, Gut & Inflammation team at Sorbonne Université in Paris, and group leader in the Micalis institute.

Sokol is an internationally recognized expert in gut microbiome research whose work focuses on inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, a chronic condition affecting millions of Americans.

The gut microbiome, the vast community of microorganisms living in the digestive system, plays a critical role in immune function and metabolic health. Sokol's session will examine how disruptions in gut microbiota contribute to IBD and explore emerging therapies, including fecal microbiota transplantation and other microbiome-based treatments under investigation.

"Your health isn't just written in your genes; it's shaped by the trillions of microbes that live within you," said Dr. Bina Joe, a Distinguished University Professor and chair of the UToledo Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. "Join us to explore how the microbiome is redefining the future of human health, one discovery at a time."

The free virtual series is open to the public. Online registration is required.

Three additional Microbiome Matters webinars are being planned, with dates to be announced.