Humans & the Microbiome
How do microbes that live in and on us affect our health, development and even behaviour?
Microorganisms cover our skin and fill our guts. These bacteria, viruses and fungi – collectively called the human microbiome – were until recently only considered interesting if they led to disease.
But a growing body of research shows that a properly functioning microbiome has tremendous impact on human health. For instance, the ability to maintain a healthy weight is probably influenced significantly by the microbiota in your gut. A mother’s microbiome could affect the healthy development of her fetus’s brain. And researchers are learning about the effects of colonization on human groups by examining the microbes in dental tartar of human remains in West Africa.
This program brings anthropologists, biologists and other scholars together to provide biocultural context to host-microbiome interactions. They’re asking new questions about what aspects of individual and societal behaviour are critical to understanding the role of the microbiome in human health and development.
By gaining a complete picture of the relationship between the microbiome and human culture and biology, CIFAR’s Humans & the Microbiome team will open up new understanding of the roots of disease, issues of early development, our susceptibility to future pandemics, and even human behaviour.
Path to Societal Impact
We invite experts in industry, civil society, healthcare and government to join fellows in our Humans & the Microbiome program for in-depth, cross-sectoral conversations that drive change and innovation.
Leaders from public health schools and CIFAR fellows in the Humans & the Microbiome program are working together to develop new public health curricula.
Areas of focus:
- Integrating emerging evidence from microbiome research into health systems
- Developing microbiome-based public health curriculum materials that enhance public health messages
Founded
2014
Renewal Dates
2020
Partners
Brain Canada Foundation through the Canada Brain Research Fund, Genome British Columbia, Genome Canada
Supporters
Canada Life
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Microbiology
Developmental, evolutionary and stem cell biology
Bacteriology
Immunology
Anthropology
Biochemistry
Public Health
History
Neuroscience
Philosophy
CIFAR Contact
Fellows & Advisors
Program Directors
B. Brett Finlay
Program Co-Director
Melissa Melby
Program Co-Director
Fellows
Katherine R. Amato
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2016-2018
Meghan Azad
Fellow
Thomas Bosch
Fellow
Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello
Fellow
Eran Elinav
Fellow
Naama Geva-Zatorsky
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Tamara Giles-Vernick
Fellow
Philippe Gros
Fellow
Karen Guillemin
Fellow
Frédéric Keck
Fellow
Sven Pettersson
Fellow
Hendrik N. Poinar
Fellow
Tobias Rees
Fellow
Philippe J. Sansonetti
Fellow
Carolina Tropini
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Liping Zhao
Fellow
Advisors
Martin Blaser
Advisor
Kate Brown
Advisor
Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich
Advisor
Margaret J. McFall-Ngai
Advisory Committee Chair
Mark Nichter
Advisor
Janet Rossant
Advisor
University of Toronto
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars
Katherine R. Amato
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2016-2018
Hiutung Chu
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Naama Geva-Zatorsky
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Louis-Patrick Haraoui
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Elizabeth Johnson
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Jean-Philippe Julien
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Tal Korem
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Alexander Kwarteng
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2017-2019
Corinne Maurice
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2016-2018
Jessica L. Metcalf
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Carolina Tropini
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Eduardo A. Undurraga
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Jennifer Zenker
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Wei Zhang
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
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CIFAR is a registered charitable organization supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Quebec, as well as foundations, individuals, corporations and Canadian and international partner organizations.