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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220309T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220309T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220128T162209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220222T205711Z
UID:10000136-1646827200-1646830800@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:“Chasing Ghosts: Race\, Racism\, and the Future of Microbiome Research”
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Dr. Travis J. De Wolfe\, PhD; Dr. Mohammed Rafi Arefin\, PhD; Dr. Maria Rebolleda-Gomez\, PhD; and Dr. Amber Benezra\, PhD \nAbout the Speakers: This special seminar will feature a collaborative talk from Dr. Travis J. De Wolfe\, PhD; Dr. Mohammed Rafi Arefin\, PhD; Dr. Maria Rebolleda-Gomez\, PhD; and Dr. Amber Benezra\, PhD. This team recently published a transformative piece\, “Chasing Ghosts: Race\, Racism\, and the Future of Microbiome Research“\, and will discuss their findings. \nLink to page with more info on the speakers. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/chasing-ghosts-race-racism-and-the-future-of-microbiome-research/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220302T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220302T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220128T161611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220222T204322Z
UID:10000135-1646222400-1646226000@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Antimicrobial Resistance: Our Next Epidemic of Inequality?
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Maya L. Nadimpalli\, MS\, PhD \nAbout the Speaker: About the speaker: Dr. Maya L. Nadimpalli\, MS\, PhD is a Research Assistant Professor and a Tufts Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) a KL2 Scholar in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR) at Tufts University. \nDr. Maya Nadimpalli is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University\, and a core faculty member at Tufts’ Stuart B. Levy Center for the Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance. She received her B.A. & Sc. in Environment from McGill University\, Canada\, and her M.S. and Ph.D. at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She uses genomic and epidemiological approaches to understand how exposures to food\, animals\, and the environment can impact human colonization and infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria\, particularly in low-resource settings. She has led research studies in rural North Carolina and in Southeast Asia\, and is currently leading two studies focused on children’s health in urban informal settlements of Lima\, Peru. She will be joining Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health as an Assistant Professor this May. \nInstitutional profile page. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/title-tbd-with-a-focus-on-epidemiology-environmental-health-one-health-antibiotic-resistance/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220223T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220223T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220113T161900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220113T162145Z
UID:10000232-1645617600-1645621200@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:20 important questions in microbial exposure and social equity + recent work on urban greenspace microbiomes
DESCRIPTION:Speaker:  Dr. Jake Robinson\, PhD \nAbout the Speaker:  \nDr. Jake Robinson is an ecologist and researcher. He recently completed a PhD at the University of Sheffield\, UK. His academic interests lie at the intersection of microbial ecology\, ecosystem restoration and social research. He will soon be publishing a book called Invisible Friends\, which is all about our extraordinary relationship with microbes\, and how they shape our lives and the world around us. \nProfessional page. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/20-important-questions-in-microbial-exposure-and-social-equity-recent-work-on-urban-greenspace-microbiomes/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220209T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220209T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220128T161149Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220131T142816Z
UID:10000212-1644408000-1644411600@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:“Diet\, Microbial Metabolites\, and Cancer Disparities”
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Patricia Wolf\, PhD\, RD \nAbout the Speaker: Dr. Wolf completed her PhD in Nutritional Sciences with a focus on microbial sulfur metabolism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in December 2018. During her graduate training\, she simultaneously completed the Didactic Program in Dietetics and became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Since that time\, she has been a postdoctoral fellow at the Cancer Education and Career Development Program NCI T32 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research investigates microbial mechanisms of cancer health disparities related to inequitable food access and quality. To do so\, she uses techniques in molecular microbiology and novel enzyme characterization to understand the metabolic capacity of the human gut microbiome. With her expertise in nutrition and dietetics\, she then examines whether dietary intake shifts microbial ecology and function toward the formation of deleterious microbial metabolites contributing to cancer risk. Given that dietary behaviors are shaped by the social and structural environment\, her future work will explore relationships between the neighborhood food environment and microbial metabolism in order to mitigate the inequitable burden of cancer in certain groups. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/title-tbd/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220202T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220202T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220128T160530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220131T142626Z
UID:10000211-1643803200-1643806800@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:"The role of microbiomes in sustainable agriculture and food systems integrated with human health"
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Frank Carbonero\, PhD \nAbout the Speaker:  \nDr. Frank Carbonero\, PhD\, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. \nHe received his Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Universite Joseph Fourier\, in France\, his Master’s of Science degree in Ecology from Universite Blaise Pascal\, in France\, and his Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from the University of Warwick\, in the United Kingdom. After that\, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for three years\, and has served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Arkansas since 2013. His research program is focused on nutrition and its impact on the human and animal gut microbiome\, with focus on dietary bioactives\, including from berries. \nProfessional page. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/title-tbd-with-a-focus-on-the-role-of-microbiomes-in-sustainable-agriculture-and-food-systems-integrated-with-human-health/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220126T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220126T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220113T161043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220113T161043Z
UID:10000231-1643198400-1643202000@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:The Human Microbiome and Health Inequities
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Katherine (Katie) Amato\, PhD \nAbout the Speaker: \nDr. Katherine (Katie) Amato is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University. From her faculty profile page: “Katie Amato is a biological anthropologist studying the gut microbiota in the broad context of host ecology and evolution. She is particularly interested in understanding how changes in the gut microbiota impact human nutrition and health in populations around the world\, especially those with limited access to nutritional resources.” \nFaculty profile page. \nTalk summary: The talk explores how the microbiome is likely to be a mediating pathway that translates disparities in people’s environments to disparities in health outcomes. It outlines the current state of the literature in this area and broadly suggests ways to move forward. Dr. Amato’s recent publication on this topic can be found here. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/the-human-microbiome-and-health-inequities/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220119T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220119T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20220110T152413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220110T152413Z
UID:10000230-1642593600-1642597200@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Microbes at the nexus of environmental\, biological\, and social research
DESCRIPTION:Section leader: Dr. Sue Ishaq\, PhD \nDr. 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 microbiology of the moose. She held post-doctoral positions at Montana State University\, and a research faculty position at the University of Oregon. Since 2019\, her lab in Maine focuses on host-associated microbial communities in animals and humans\, and in particular\, how host and microbes interact in the gut. In addition to her research on gut microbes\, Dr. Ishaq is the founder of the Microbes and Social Equity working group. This group formed to examine\, publicize and promote a research program on the reciprocal impact of social inequality and microbiomes\, both human and environmental. \nTalk: “Microbes at the nexus of environmental\, biological\, and social research” \nAbout the 2022 series: Microbes influence the health and well-being of all living things—individuals\, communities\, and broader environmental networks which span internationally. The Microbes and Social Equity group is presenting a speaker series\, hosted by the University of Maine Institute of Medicine\, which will specifically highlight how the different kinds of microbes that we interact with are influenced by aspects of daily life as well as the social policies which support or oppress livelihoods. This speaker series will explore the ways that microbes connect public policy\, social disparities\, and human health\, as well as ongoing research\, education\, policy\, and innovation in this field. \nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/microbes-at-the-nexus-of-environmental-biological-and-social-research/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210618T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210618T160000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210504T194858Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210504T194858Z
UID:10000130-1624021200-1624032000@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 5: “Access to healthcare and the microbiome”
DESCRIPTION:Section leader: Emily Wissel \nAccess 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 which support breastfeeding likewise promote this transfer of maternal microbes. Similarly\, newborns and infants with access to care in their first five years of life have better outcomes overall than those with limited access. This difference in care during early life can impact lifelong differences in outcomes\, reinforcing inequalities present at birth. This session will cover topics from the vaginal microbiome during pregnancy to the infant gut microbiome after birth\, with perspectives from a clinician\, public health researchers\, and a biological scientist. \nSession Speakers: \nGaea Daniel\, Postdoctoral Fellow at Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University \nMichael Kramer\, Professor of Epidemiology and Director of Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence at Emory University \n“How Disparities in Access to Health Care Could Impact the Maternal-Infant Microbiome” \nSharon M Donovan\, Professor\, Director of the Personalized Nutrition Initiative\, University of Illinois. \nPrior to this session\, you may want to watch these recorded talks: \n\n“Extended Health”\, Dr. Joshua August (Gus) Skorburg\, PhD. February 17\, 2021.\n“The human microbiome and cancer risk: setting the stage for innovative studies to address cancer disparities”\, Dr. D. Armen Byrd\, MPH\, PhD. February 24\, 2021.\n“Embodied microbiomes: a 4E-cognition perspective on microbial life and social equity”\, Dr. Francisco Parada Flores\, PhD. March 24\, 2021.\n“Social and ethical implications of human microbiome research.”\, Dr. Kieran O’Doherty\, PhD. April 7\, 2021.\n“Investigating social determinates of health and social equity among Veterans; a United States-Veteran Microbiome Project”\, LTC. Andrew J. Hoisington\, Ph.D. April 14\, 2021.\n\nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/microbes-and-social-equity-symposium-2021-session-5-access-to-healthcare-and-the-microbiome/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210617T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210617T160000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210504T194336Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210504T194425Z
UID:10000129-1623934800-1623945600@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 4: “Social and Environmental Stress”
DESCRIPTION:Section leader: Patricia Wolf \nWhile 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 by minority groups within the US may increase risk to disease through the alteration of host and bacterial metabolites. These inequities were compounded during the COVID-19 pandemic\, during which neighborhood structural environments led to differing access to healthcare and treatment for the disease. Notably\, those with the least access often were subject to higher exposure to the disease due to having “essential” employment. This session will explore the social and environmental factors that can impact human microbiomes\, and will discuss measures that investigators should incorporate into research in order to fully understand microbial mechanisms of disease. \nSession speakers: \nLisa Tussing-Humphreys\, PhD.\, M.S.\, M.D.\, Assistant Professor of Medicine\, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine\, and Director\, UI Cancer Center’s Diet and Behavior Shared Resource. \nAriangela Kozik\, Ph.D.\, Postdoctoral Research Fellow\, University of Michigan\, and the Co-founder and Vice President of the Black Microbiologists Association \n“The urban wastewater microbiome” \nMonica Trujillo\, Ph.D.\, Associate Professor\, of Biology Queensborough Community College\, The City University of New York \nPrior to this session\, you may want to watch these recorded talks: \n\n“Connecting environmental microbiomes to social (in)equity across temporal and ecological scales”\, Dr. Erin Eggleston and Dr. Mallory Choudoir. March 3\, 2021.\n“Embodied microbiomes: a 4E-cognition perspective on microbial life and social equity”\, Dr. Francisco Parada Flores\, PhD. March 24\, 2021.\n“Investigating social determinates of health and social equity among Veterans; a United States-Veteran Microbiome Project”\, LTC. Andrew J. Hoisington\, Ph.D. April 14\, 2021.\n\nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/microbes-and-social-equity-symposium-2021-session-4-social-and-environmental-stress/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210616T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210616T160000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210504T193601Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210504T193717Z
UID:10000128-1623848400-1623859200@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 3: “Natural resources and access to environmental microbes”
DESCRIPTION:Section leader: Gwynne Mhuireach \nThe 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 tend to be older\, larger\, and more numerous in higher income neighborhoods. New evidence shows that exposure to microbial diversity may be an important ecosystem service provided by urban greenspace\, as exposure to greater microbial diversity early in life is related to lower prevalence of autoimmune disorders\, such as allergies and asthma. This session will explore how environmental justice can be used to resolve health\, microbial\, and land access disparities. \nSession speakers: (some speakers pending) \nCharlene Nielsen\, Ph.D.\, Postdoctoral Fellow\, School of Public Health\, University of Alberta \nAshish Pathak\, Ph.D.\, Research Scientist/Adjunct Professor\, Florida A & M University\, and Ashvini Chauhan\, Ph.D.\, Professor\, Florida A&M University \nPrior to this session\, you may want to watch these recorded talks: \n\n“An Indigenous Micro- to Meta-Narrative: Microbes and Social Equity”\, Dr. Nicole Redvers\, ND\, MPH. February 10\, 2021.\n“Connecting environmental microbiomes to social (in)equity across temporal and ecological scales”\, Dr. Erin Eggleston and Dr. Mallory Choudoir. March 3\, 2021.\n“Embodied microbiomes: a 4E-cognition perspective on microbial life and social equity”\, Dr. Francisco Parada Flores\, PhD. March 24\, 2021.\n\nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/microbes-and-social-equity-symposium-2021-session-3-natural-resources-and-access-to-environmental-microbes/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210615T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210615T160000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210504T151329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210504T151336Z
UID:10000127-1623762000-1623772800@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 2: “Nutrition and the gut microbiome”
DESCRIPTION:Session leader: Laura Grieneisen \nAccess 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 and disruption to our food and transport systems will make it more difficult for many individuals to obtain a nutritious diet and reap the benefit of a healthy gut microbiome. This effect will be disproportionately felt by lower-income individuals. This session explores the effects of diet on the gut microbiome and health\, food insecurity\, policy to support food access\, and how to use existing resources to create community-based food systems. \nSession Speakers: \nAbigail Johnson\, Ph.D.\, Assistant Professor\, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota\, and Associate Director\, Nutrition Coordinating Center“University of Maine Cooperative Extension Programs\, Resources and Research Relevant to Food Insecurity” \nFrank Wertheim\, Ph.D.\, Associate Extension Professor\, University of Maine Cooperative Extension \nSabrina Young\, Ph.D.\, Research Agricultural Economist in the Diet\, Safety\, and Health Economics Branch in the Food Economics Division of the USDA. Presenting on current federal government policy support for food access\, generalized advice about policy \nPrior to this session\, you may want to watch these recorded talks: \n\n“Teaching with microbes: Biopolitical lessons from fermentation.”\, Dr. Megan Carney\, PhD. March 17\, 2021.\n“The Global Microbiome: microbes and public health beyond biology”\, Dr. Amber Benezra\, PhD. March 10\, 2021.\n“Investigating social determinates of health and social equity among Veterans; a United States-Veteran Microbiome Project”\, LTC. Andrew J. Hoisington\, Ph.D. April 14\, 2021.\n\nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/microbes-and-social-equity-symposium-2021-session-2-nutrition-and-the-gut-microbiome/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210614T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210614T160000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210504T141949Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210504T151545Z
UID:10000126-1623675600-1623686400@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Microbes and Social Equity Symposium 2021 Session 1: “Biopolitics and the human microbiome”
DESCRIPTION:Session leaders: Michael Friedman and Sue Ishaq \nThe 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 associated with distinct health outcomes. This opening session will introduce the concept of microbes and social equity\, and open the discussion on how to create change. \nSession Speakers (some pending): \nKate Darling\, Ph.D.\, Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Maine\, Augusta \n“Advocating for COVID equity by addressing misinformation\, mistrust\, and lack of access during COVID-19” \nJessica Ottero\, Ph.D.\, Community Health Education Specialist at Mayo Clinic \nPrior to this session\, you may want to watch these recorded talks: \n\n“An Indigenous Micro- to Meta-Narrative: Microbes and Social Equity”\, Dr. Nicole Redvers\, ND\, MPH. February 10\, 2021.\n“The Global Microbiome: microbes and public health beyond biology”\, Dr. Amber Benezra\, PhD. March 10\, 2021.\n\nRegister for this session
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/session-1-biopolitics-and-the-human-microbiome/
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210505T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210505T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210309T143234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210331T122419Z
UID:10000225-1620216000-1620219600@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Integrating Equity into Emerging Infectious Disease Research
DESCRIPTION:About the speaker:  Dr. Kishana Taylor is a virologist and Co-founder and president of the Black Microbiologists Association. Dr. Taylor holds a bachelors degree in animal science\, a masters of public health microbiology and emerging infectious disease and a doctorate in interdisciplinary biomedical science. Dr. Taylor is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University in the lab of Dr. Elizabeth Wayne. Her current NSF funded research focuses on the role of monocytes and macrophages in SARS-CoV2 infection and subsequent development of COVID-19. Dr. Taylors research interest include arboviruses\, zoonotic viruses and their epidemiology\, ecology and evolution. \nAbout the seminar:  Much like previous pandemics\, the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 pandemic\, especially in the U.S.\, has brought to the forefront pre-existing social and structural inequalities that affect access to quality healthcare and perpetuate viral spread. As we begin to think toward the future and the next inevitable pandemic\, it is important to incorporate the lessons learned from this pandemic\, and others\, in an attempt to mitigate similar patterns of inequity in the future. \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/integrating-equity-into-emerging-infectious-disease-research/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210428T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210428T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210318T150726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210318T150726Z
UID:10000227-1619611200-1619614800@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Missing Microbes and Missing Out: microbes and social equity in the context of youth in detention
DESCRIPTION:About the speakers:\nAlly Hunter\, PhD Science Education\, MS Biology (Micro & Molecular)\nPostdoctoral Fellow\nCenter for Youth Engagement\nNSF Project RAISE (Reclaiming Access to Inquiry Science Education for Incarcerated Learners)\nNSF Project INSITE (INtegrating STEM Into Transition Education for Incarcerated Youth)\nUniversity of Massachusetts\, Amherst \nhttps://www.umass.edu/education/people/ally-hunter \nChristina Anderson Bosch\nDoctoral Candidate at University of Massachusetts\, Amherst\nM.A.\, Special Education: Learning Disabilities\nM. Ed.\, Mind\, Brain and Education\nNSF Project RAISE (Reclaiming Access to Inquiry Science Education for Incarcerated Learners) \nhttps://umass.academia.edu/ChristinaBosch \nAbout the seminar: In the US\, incarcerated youth are a population that are vulnerable to a variety of poor outcomes that include disrupted or incomplete education\, unemployment\, homelessness\, health disparities\, and incarceration as adults.  Through the lens of microbiome health we can envision additional poor outcomes for incarcerated youth: loss of access to nutrition and diet education\, loss of access to diets that support microbiome health\, loss of access to beneficial microbes\, and over-exposure to harmful microbes. \nThis presentation will discuss the potential for microbial inequity for incarcerate youth and highlight current educational responses that could serve to mitigate some of these disparities. \nUsing our experiences as educational researchers and curriculum developers on STEM education initiatives for incarcerated youth\, we will present background information on this particularly vulnerable population.  We will discuss our work on developing biology curriculum for juvenile justice settings and where we see a need for further development of microbiology\, nutrition and basic health curriculum.  Then\, we will facilitate a group discussion to engage the scientific community with this understudied and underserved population in the context of microbial inequity. \nPlease use this link to register
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/missing-microbes-and-missing-out-microbes-and-social-equity-in-the-context-of-youth-in-detention/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="UMaine Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210421T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210421T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210319T191821Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210319T191821Z
UID:10000175-1619006400-1619010000@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Physiological Implications of Pre-Existing Inflammatory Co-Morbidities when the Body is Introduced to Novel Infectious Processes
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Deborah Saber\, PhD\, RN\, CCRN-K \nAbout the speaker: Dr. Saber is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Maine where she teaches pathophysiological and critical care concepts to upper-level undergraduate nursing students. She also holds a joint position at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center where she directs the program development for nursing research and evidence-based practice. As a practicing intensive care registered nurse (RN) with over 25 years of patient care nursing experience\, she has cared for patients infected with multidrug-resistant organisms (e.g.\, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)\, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE)\, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) and diseases from outbreaks that include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and H1N1. Dr. Saber’s research focuses on microbial movement in the healthcare setting as this relates to the use personal protective equipment (PPE) and resulting solid waste. \nAbout the seminar: This seminar will focus on findings from the literature that emphasize the vulnerability of populations with preexisting health conditions that impact their ability to defend against infectious diseases. We will discuss common co-morbid conditions\, the role of the inflammatory processes in infectious processes\, and how social inequity can predispose vulnerable populations to novel infectious processes. \nPlease use this link to register
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/physiological-implications-of-pre-existing-inflammatory-co-morbidities-when-the-body-is-introduced-to-novel-infectious-processes/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210407T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210407T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210308T162750Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210308T162750Z
UID:10000224-1617796800-1617800400@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Social and ethical implications of human microbiome research
DESCRIPTION:About the speaker: Dr. Kieran C. O’Doherty is professor in the department of psychology at the University of Guelph\, where he directs the Discourse\, Science\, Publics research Group. His research focuses on the social and ethical implications of science and technology. In this context\, he has published on such topics as data governance\, vaccines\, human tissue biobanks\, salmon genomics\, and genetic testing. A particular emphasis of his research has been on the social and ethical aspects of human microbiome research. Kieran’s research also emphasizes public deliberation on science and technology. In this regard\, he has designed and implemented deliberative forums in which members of the public engage in in-depth discussion about ethical aspects of science and technology and collectively develop recommendations for policy. Recent edited volumes include Psychological Studies of Science and Technology (2019) and The Sage Handbook of Applied Social Psychology (2019). Kieran’s research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research\, The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada\, the Ontario Ministry of Research & Innovation\, Genome Canada and Genome British Columbia. He is editor of Theory & Psychology. \nLab website: https://dsp.uoguelph.ca \nTwitter: Personal\, @KieranODoherty; Lab\, @dsp_lab \nAbout the seminar: There are many social and ethical implications of human microbiome research. In this presentation\, I will focus on 3 types of ethical implications. The first type are ethical considerations that should be taken into account when conducting research on the human microbiome. Key points here include issues relating to information privacy\, ownership of samples and data\, and the rights of Indigenous and other identifiable communities from whom microbiome samples might be obtained. The second type of ethical implications relates to the consequences of specific technologies and applications developed using microbiome science. Examples here include the consequences of strategic engineering of microbes and their use in human and animal populations. The third kind of ethical implications I will discuss relates to problems that are already present\, but have only become visible\, or perhaps just more obvious\, as a result of knowledge generated by human microbiome research. An example here is damage to vaginal microbiomes that is caused by vaginal cleansing products promoted to women to feel “Clean & Fresh.” In this context\, I argue that clinical applications of human microbiome science\, while valuable\, are too narrow when considering the damage that is being done our collective microbiomes as a society and a species. I conclude by reiterating calls for recognition of the microbiome as a common good and the need for stewardship of microbiomes. \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/social-and-ethical-implications-of-human-microbiome-research/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210324T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210324T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210216T181751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210216T182243Z
UID:10000177-1616587200-1616590800@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Embodied microbiomes: a 4E-cognition perspective on microbial life and social equity - Dr. Francisco Parada Flores\, PhD
DESCRIPTION:About the speaker: After studying Psychology and Neuroscience in Chile\, I moved to the USA to pursue my Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and Neural Sciences at the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences\, Indiana University-Bloomington. During this period I was able to work on neural signal processing\, brain networks\, and embodiment within the context of social cognition. After continuing my development through postdoctoral work at the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School I came back to Chile as a tenured professor of Psychology at Universidad Diego Portales (UDP). At UDP I funded the Center for Human Neuroscience & Neuropsychology (CEHNN)\, a multi-PI research center and day clinic for brain lesion survivors dedicated to the development of the transdisciplinary 4E cognition research program. \nTwitter: @fj_parada \nhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Francisco_J_Parada \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/embodied-microbiomes-a-4e-cognition-perspective-on-microbial-life-and-social-equity-dr-francisco-parada-flores-phd/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210317T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210317T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210216T181941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210216T182301Z
UID:10000176-1615982400-1615986000@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Teaching with microbes: Biopolitical lessons from fermentation. Dr. Megan Carney\, PhD
DESCRIPTION:About the speaker: Megan A. Carney is a sociocultural and medical anthropologist with specializations in migration and health\, food insecurity\, and the politics of care. She is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Regional Food Studies at the University of Arizona. She is the author of two books\, the award-winning “The Unending Hunger: Tracing Women and Food Insecurity Across Borders” (2015\, University of California Press) and “Island of Hope: Migration and Solidarity in the Mediterranean” (forthcoming\, University of California Press). She is the recent recipient of a Fulbright Schuman Faculty Award and was previously a Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project. Some of her public writing has appeared in Civil Eats\, Scientific American\, The Hill\, Sapiens\, and The Conversation. \nTwitter: @megan_a_carney \nAbout the seminar: For the past several years and with emerging research on microbiomes\, social scientists and humanities scholars have increasingly turned to microbes as “good to think with” in examining the intersections between human health and the environment. The Covid-19 pandemic has both amplified much of this transdisciplinary interest in microbial life and human microbiomes\, and sparked new questions about the (micro)biopolitics shaping uneven health outcomes across the human life course. This talk reflects on using fermentation as a pedagogical tool for understanding the historical conditions and contemporary social and institutional arrangements that affect microbial distribution and exposure. \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/teaching-with-microbes-biopolitical-lessons-from-fermentation-dr-megan-carney-phd/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210310T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210310T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210216T182057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210216T182317Z
UID:10000184-1615377600-1615381200@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:The Global Microbiome: microbes and public health beyond biology - Dr. Amber Benezra
DESCRIPTION:About the speaker:  Dr. Amber Benezra is an Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Stevens Institute of Technology. She is a sociocultural anthropologist researching how studies of the human microbiome intersect with biomedical ethics\, public health/technological infrastructures\, and care. In partnership with human microbial ecologists\, she is developing an “anthropology of microbes” to address global health problems across disciplines. \nhttps://stevens.academia.edu/AmberBenezra \nAbout the seminar:  Many human microbiome studies actively seek solutions for global public health crises like malnutrition\, yet microbiome science fails to account for the sociomaterial\, political\, and economic conditions of life that affect microbial populations. This talk will discuss cross-disciplinary collaborations between anthropology and human microbial ecology. Social science interventions are necessary to foreground how issues like race\, gender\, poverty\, and infrastructure impact human microbiomes. \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/the-global-microbiome-microbes-and-public-health-beyond-biology-dr-amber-benezra/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210303T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210303T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210128T205031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210128T205431Z
UID:10000166-1614772800-1614776400@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Connecting environmental microbiomes to social (in)equity across temporal and ecological scales
DESCRIPTION:Speakers:  Dr. Erin Eggleston and Dr. Mallory Choudoir \nAbout the speakers: Dr. Erin Eggleston\, PhD\, is an assistant professor of biology at Middlebury College. Her research focuses on molecular microbial ecology. Recent projects include mercury-cycling microbes in the soils of the St. Lawrence River\, coral microbiome and reef resilience\, and community dynamics of harmful cyanobacterial blooms. For more information check out her lab website (https://sites.middlebury.edu/eggleston/) \nDr. Mallory Choudoir\, PhD\, is a microbial ecologist interested in the evolutionary processes that determine patterns of microbial diversity across space and time. She is currently a postdoc at the University of Massachusetts Amherst researching microbial adaptation to long-term soil warming. Find her on twitter @malladpated or https://www.malloryjchoudoir.com/ \nAbout the seminar:  Issues of social equity when it comes to environmental microbiomes and ecosystem ecology are tied with anthropogenic land use change. These land use changes occur across chronic and acute time scales\, and ecological outcomes are both direct and indirect. This seminar will frame the interaction of microbiome research within the context of issues of environmental and social (in)justice pertaining to anthropogenic land use change. We will highlight current research and invite discussion on perspective research. \nTo register for this event\, go to the registration link. \n 
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/connecting-environmental-microbiomes-to-social-inequity-across-temporal-and-ecological-scales/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="The Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210224T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210224T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210127T195422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210127T201856Z
UID:10000168-1614168000-1614171600@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:The human microbiome and cancer risk: setting the stage for innovative studies to address cancer disparities - Dr. Byrd
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Doratha Byrd\, MPH\, PhD \nAbout the speaker: Dr. Byrd received a B.S. in biology and an M.P.H. in epidemiology from the University of Florida. She completed her Ph.D. in epidemiology at Emory University\, where her dissertation research focused on the development and validation of novel\, inflammation biomarker panel-weighted dietary and lifestyle inflammation scores\, and their associations with colorectal neoplasms. In January 2019\, she joined the National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics as a postdoctoral fellow. During her time there\, she conducted methodologic microbiota studies and investigated associations of the microbiota with cancer risk and of diet with the gut metabolome. In January 2021\, she joined Moffitt Cancer Center as an Assistant Member in the Department of Cancer Epidemiology\, where she will continue to contribute to the reduction of cancer disparities using an integrative\, interdisciplinary approach to study microbiota-mediated mechanisms for cancer risk among diverse populations. \nTwitter: @d_armen_byrd \nAbout the seminar: This seminar will focus on current understanding and future directions for targeting health disparities with gastrointestinal microbiota research using a multidimensional framework. Examples will be provided from the colorectal and breast cancer literature. \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/the-human-microbiome-and-cancer-risk-setting-the-stage-for-innovative-studies-to-address-cancer-disparities-dr-byrd/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="UMaine Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210217T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210217T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210126T194903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210127T183348Z
UID:10000173-1613563200-1613566800@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:Extended Health - Dr. Gus Skorburg
DESCRIPTION:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series\, spring 2021 \nAbout the speaker: Dr. Joshua August (Gus) Skorburg is Assistant Professor of Philosophy\, Academic Co-Director of the Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (CARE-AI)\, and Faculty Affiliate at the One Health Institute at the University of Guelph in Ontario\, Canada. He is also Adjunct Professor in the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He received his PhD in Philosophy in 2017 from the University of Oregon. His research spans topics in applied ethics and moral psychology. \nhttps://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/people/joshua-august-gus-skorburg \nAbout the seminar: Dominant views about the nature of health and disease tend to assume the existence of a fixed\, stable\, individual organism as the bearer of health and disease states\, and as such\, the appropriate target of medical therapy and ethical concern. However\, recent developments in microbial biology\, neuroscience\, and social and personality psychology have produced a novel understanding of the individual and its fluid boundaries. Drawing on converging evidence from these disciplines\, I will argue that certain features of our biological and social environment can be so tightly integrated as to constitute a unit of care extending beyond the intuitive boundaries of skin and skull. Call this the Hypothesis of Extended Health (HEH). Using the example of obesity as a case study\, I show how HEH is well positioned to accommodate recent research on both the human microbiome and relationship partners. I conclude by suggesting that HEH helps us to break free from unhelpful dichotomous thinking about obesity – between individual behaviours (e.g.\, restraint\, diet\, exercise) or constraining socio-economic structures (e.g.\, food deserts\, advertising). \nThe event is free but registration is required on the registration link.
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/extended-health-dr-gus-skorburg/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="UMaine Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210210T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210210T130000
DTSTAMP:20260531T161002
CREATED:20210126T192823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210127T200820Z
UID:10000174-1612958400-1612962000@umaine.edu
SUMMARY:An Indigenous Micro - to Meta-Narrative: Microbes and Social Equity - Dr. Nicole Redvers
DESCRIPTION:About the speaker: Dr. Nicole Redvers\, ND\, MPH\, is a member of the Deninu K’ue (pronounced “Deneh-noo-kweh”) First Nation tribe from northern Canada and is currently an assistant professor in the department of family & community medicine at the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She is co-founder and chair of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation based in the Canadian North which was awarded the $1 million-dollar 2017 Arctic Inspiration Prize for their work with the homeless and those most vulnerable. Dr. Redvers has been actively involved at the international level promoting the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in planetary health\, and has numerous publications including the trade paperback book titled\, ‘The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles’. \n\nAbout the seminar: Indigenous Peoples have scientific narratives and traditions that span thousands of years rooted within concepts of relationship. The microbial microcosm itself is a lens of relationship that situates us as humans within our own communities and in the biome of the planet. How these relationships intersect and how we view them as an evolution of knowledge in theory and practice impacts how we view equity and its applications in the scientific process. This seminar will seek to bridge Indigenous knowledge traditions and scientific discourse with the intent of situating microbes and social equity within a larger relationship within research and practice. \nTo register for this event\, go to the registration link. \n  \n 
URL:https://umaine.edu/medicine/event/microbes-and-social-equity-speaker-series-dr-nicole-redvers/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Microbes and Social Equity speaker series
ORGANIZER;CN="UMaine Institute of Medicine":MAILTO:umainemed@maine.edu
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR