The one-pathogen-one-disease paradigm – the focus of infectious disease research for more than a century – has been complicated by the discovery of the human microbiome (i.e. the bacterial communities that reside in and on our bodies). The gut microbiome is intimately tied to the development of our immune system, our physiology, and even our psychology. A breakdown in the ecological structure of our gut has been associated with inflammatory disorders, metabolic syndromes, and cancer.

In this talk, Dr. Sean Gibbons will discuss how disturbances of the gut ecosystem can make us sick and how restoration of the microbiome back to a healthy state can potentially alleviate many complex diseases.

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