The Microbiome Invited Speaker Series features speakers from academia, industry, non-profit organizations, public communities, and federal agencies that promote the role of microbiome in a One Health context, ranging from sustainability, restoration, and public health. The series facilitates knowledge exchange between UMD and local experts in human and environmental microbiome research, with the long-term goal of establishing impact-driven collaborations in microbiome-focused initiatives.
Speaker: Jotham Suez, Feinstone Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Talk Title: Personalized Nutrition and the Microbiome
Abstract: Can gut bacteria decode your ideal diet? Surprisingly, identical meals can trigger vastly different post-prandial fluctuations in blood glucose among various individuals. While probiotic supplements may offer health benefits to certain individuals, they remain ineffective for others. Similarly, the impact of artificial sweeteners on metabolic health is heavily contested, with some studies revealing harm and others indicating advantages. The intricate and divergent effects of dietary elements on human health pose a challenge in crafting overarching dietary guidelines for the public. Person-to-person variability in the makeup of the intestinal microbiome may underlie the discrepancies in human responses to diet. In this talk, we will discuss the potential and limitations of harnessing the microbiome to tailor personalized nutritional advice and explore the mechanisms through which the microbiome contributes to heterogeneity in responses to diet.
Date: Tuesday, April 29
Time: 4–5 p.m.
Location: ESJ 2204
Previous Speakers
| Date | Speaker | Talk Title | Location |
| February 18 | Suzanne E. Dorsey, Deputy Secretary at the Maryland Department of the Environment | Dorsey shares her experience of over 30 years working towards conservation as a scientist and within a governmental agency. | ESJ 2204 |
| November 26 | David J. Lipman, senior science advisor for bioinformatics and genomics at the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition | BLAST to the Future: A Story of Sequences in Biology | ESJ 1224 |