Tales of Microbes and Molecules: Invisible forces that tip the scales between health and disease

Recently, interest in our gut bacteria and how this relates to our health has rapidly increased. Not only is there more research being done, but interest from the public has grown too. My talk is going to cover what our gut bacteria are, outline some of the ways they could affect us and our health and talk about what research has found in terms of how gut bacteria relate to our health. I’ll discuss how gut bacteria may be related to cognition or our ability to think, and how gut bacteria may be related to specific disorders or diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.

Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecological cancer worldwide, with a low rate of survival. Most cases are detected too late when the cancer has already spread to other organs in the body. As of today, there are no specific methods to detect the disease in its early stages. Over 90% of cases with the most common form of ovarian cancer have a mutation in a cellular component known as p53. This is a protein that prevents our cells from growing and dividing out of control. My work will examine what happens to a cohort of RNA molecules when p53 does not work correctly in ovarian cancer. We believe that detecting this cohort of RNA molecules will be a warning sign that cancer has initiated.

"Have you ever thought about how the tiny bugs inside us might affect our brains? In this talk, we'll dive into the fascinating world of the gut microbiome and explore how these microscopic organisms could influence the way we think, feel, and behave. We'll discuss the growing evidence that links the microbes in our guts to our mental health and behavior. It's not just humans—this connection has been observed in animals - worms, flies, fish, and mice, suggesting it might be a common thread in the animal kingdom. We'll explore questions like: How do these bugs communicate with our brains? How might they be involved in brain disorders? And most importantly, what can we learn from a cross-species approach to study microbiome-brain-behavior interactions?