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UMaine Institute of Medicine

Missing Microbes and Missing Out: microbes and social equity in the context of youth in detention

Virtual

About the speakers: Ally Hunter, PhD Science Education, MS Biology (Micro & Molecular) Postdoctoral Fellow Center for Youth Engagement NSF Project RAISE (Reclaiming Access to Inquiry Science Education for Incarcerated Learners) NSF Project INSITE (INtegrating STEM Into Transition Education for Incarcerated Youth) University of Massachusetts, Amherst https://www.umass.edu/education/people/ally-hunter Christina Anderson Bosch Doctoral Candidate at University of […]

Free

Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 1: “Biopolitics and the human microbiome”

Session leaders: Michael Friedman and Sue Ishaq The human microbiota is a mediator between social determinants of health and health outcomes. Social determinants, such as racism, sexism and social class position are power relations that shape human microbial communities by providing access and exposure to varying biological factors. In turn, shifts in such communities are […]

Free

Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 2: “Nutrition and the gut microbiome”

Virtual

Session leader: Laura Grieneisen Access to fresh foods, and especially fruits, vegetables, and other products high in fiber, is well demonstrated to be affected by social inequity. The lack of fiber and nutritious food can dramatically hamper a functional gut microbiome. With the effects of COVID-19 being felt, the loss of income/loss of SNAP benefits […]

Free

Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 3: “Natural resources and access to environmental microbes”

Virtual

Section leader: Gwynne Mhuireach The relationship between health and greenspace is well-established. There is also a recognized association between social equity and distribution of greenspace in many cities—parks are often larger, higher quality, and more prevalent in higher-income, upper-class neighborhoods; private yards and gardens are a luxury sometimes inaccessible to lower-income households; even street trees […]

Free

Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 4: “Social and Environmental Stress”

Virtual

Section leader: Patricia Wolf While it has been established that human behavior may impact microbiome structure, it has become evident that this is only part of the story. Historically racist housing policies may lead to inequitable exposure of those living in segregated neighborhoods to environmental pollutants. Additionally, life-long exposure to social and environmental stress faced […]

Free

Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 5: “Access to healthcare and the microbiome”

Virtual

Section leader: Emily Wissel Access to healthcare, including treatment and preventative care, is critical to moderate beneficial host-microbe interactions and mitigate host-pathogen interactions, yet healthcare is inequitably distributed and often curbed by social policy. For instance, maternity care is well-demonstrated to improve health outcomes and facilitate the transfer of beneficial maternal microbes to newborns. Policies […]

Free

Microbes at the nexus of environmental, biological, and social research

Virtual

Section leader: Dr. Sue Ishaq, PhD Dr. Sue Ishaq is an Assistant Professor of Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Maine, in the School of Food and Agriculture. She received her doctorate in Animal, Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Vermont in 2015 where her graduate study focused on the rumen […]

Free
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