Humans & the Microbiome
How do microbes that live in and on us affect our health, development and even behaviour?
Micro-organisms cover our skin and fill our guts. These bacteria, viruses, and fungi — collectively called the human microbiome — have significant impact on human health. This program brings together anthropologists, biologists, and other scholars to address questions about the microbiome’s impact on human health and development, and how it is affected by individual and societal behaviour.
RESEARCH AND SOCIETAL IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
Microbiome studies with distinct communities
A new Catalyst Fund collaboration between Program Co-Director and anthropologist Melissa Melby (University of Delaware) and Fellow and microbiologist Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello (Rutgers University), will explore interconnections between the microbiome, lifestyle, environment, and health. By working with study participants from the indigenous Jotï of the Venezuelan Amazon, who have had minimal influence from stressors derived from modern medical, hygienic, and dietary practices, the researchers hope to understand the associations between lifestyle changes and microbiome changes, as well as the resulting health implications.
Developing the next generation of public health experts
Program members continued their work to support the next generation of public health leaders by co-creating public health curriculum materials grounded in microbiome research and public health priorities. This year saw the development of pilot course content covering four critical themes: breastfeeding, diet and nutrition, antimicrobial resistance, and health inequities.
A step forward in Parkinson’s research
Co-Director Brett Finlay (University of British Columbia) established that there is a major link between diet, the microbiome, and Parkinson’s disease. His research shows that by following the MIND diet (a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets), the onset of Parkinson’s was delayed by 17 years in women and 10 years in men. This represents a major advance in fighting the disease, for which there is no cure.
Exploring biological rhythms through cattle
CIFAR Fellow and breastmilk expert Meghan Azad (University of Manitoba & Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba), and CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar and animal microbiome expert Jessica Metcalf (Colorado State University), partnered on an exciting new Catalyst Fund project with the potential to inform our understanding of how daily cycles of milk contents impact newborn development and health. They are overcoming the persistent challenge of studying milk chronobiology in humans through a previously unexplored approach: studying dairy milk and its potential as a model to understand similar systems in humans.
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
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
Jamie Lorimer
Fellow
Sven Pettersson
Fellow
Hendrik N. Poinar
Fellow
Tobias Rees
Associate Fellow
Philippe J. Sansonetti
Associate Fellow
Carolina Tropini
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Alan Bernstein Fellow
Liping Zhao
Fellow
Advisors
Martin Blaser
Advisory Committee Co-Chair
Kate Brown
Advisory Committee Co-Chair
Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich
Advisor
Margaret J. McFall-Ngai
Advisor
Mark Nichter
Advisor
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
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Alan Bernstein Fellow
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.