Of Men and Microbes: Social Determinants of the Microbiome - Jenn Dowd, King's College, London

Of Men and Microbes: Social Determinants of the Microbiome

There is growing evidence that the trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body have profound implications for human health. Indeed, the microbiome is now considered our 'second genome' with potentially parallel importance to the genome in shaping human health for conditions as diverse as diabetes to depression. What makes the microbiome distinct from the human genome-and potentially of significant interest to social scientists-is its plasticity and specifically its responsiveness to the environment. The very nature of the microbiome, its malleability and sensitivity to human environments, individuals' choices and preferences, behaviors and social interactions, confers an unparalleled opportunity for fertile collaboration between social and biological scientists. I will discuss recent work that aims to begin this characterization of how the social environment impacts the microbiome using data from the NYC-HANES as well as the TwinsUK study, as well as future opportunities in cohorts such as AddHealth and the WLS. 

Event Date
-
Speaker
Jen Dowd, King's College, London
Venue
SSRI-Gross Hall 270
Event Type