Sarkis Mazmanian — Gut Microbiome and Neurodegeneration
Caltech microbiologist reveals how gut bacteria shape neurological health, with implications for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Date & Time at 7:30 PM PST
Location Beckman Auditorium, Caltech Los Angeles, US
Organizer Caltech Watson Lectures
Why we picked this
The gut-brain connection is one of the most surprising frontiers in biology. A leading Caltech microbiologist explains what your gut bacteria have to do with Parkinson's.
The idea that bacteria in your gut could influence diseases in your brain sounds like pseudoscience, but Sarkis Mazmanian’s lab at Caltech has produced some of the most rigorous evidence for the gut-brain connection in neurodegenerative disease. His research has shown that specific gut microbes can influence the progression of conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s — opening entirely new avenues for treatment.
Free at Beckman Auditorium as part of the Watson Lecture series. This is the kind of talk where you walk in skeptical and leave with your model of how the body works fundamentally revised.