Exploring the Brain-Gut Axis (Live, In person - Toronto)

Ontario Brain Institute: Bringing research to lifeAt OBI, we are committed to translating scientific research and innovation into real-world benefits.This work extends beyond academic forums, and we strive to move lab discoveries, clinical trials, and treatments into practical applications. We also aim to highlight the lived experience of patients, caregivers and advocates, ensuring their points of view are central to conversations about brain health. One of the ways we support these objectives is to host three free public talks per year, sharing updates and insights from a variety of experts on advances in neuroscience, developments in neurotechnology, the integration of community in care, and more. OBI Public Talks are designed to present new opportunities to learn about brain disorders and neuroscience research from experts and advocates across Ontario's brain health ecosystem.L﻿earn more about OBI News & Events: https://braininstitute.ca/news-events

Ontario Brain Institute (OBI)

Diet has a deep impact on brain function. Discover the impact of gut microbiomes on neuroinflammation, neurodevelopment & neurodegeneration.

St. James Cathedral Centre Event Venue

Your diet has a profound impact on brain function. This OBI Public Talk, the first in the 2025-26 Breakthroughs in Brain Science series, will look at the influence gut microbiomes have on neuroinflammation, neurodevelopment, and neurodegeneration, among other aspects of brain function. We invite all in-person attendees to join us for a reception immediately following the talk.

Panelists: <ul><li>Dr. Premysl Bercik is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and member of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster University. His clinical interest lies in functional bowel disorders, intestinal dysmotility, gastroparesis and celiac disease. His basic research focuses on the role of intestinal bacteria in gut-brain axis in the context of gut function, low-grade inflammation and behavior, including anxiety and depression. </li><li>Dr. Valerie Taylor is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary. Prior to this, she was the chief of Psychiatry at Women’s College Hospital and the chief of Adult Health Services at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Her academic focus has been on the area of medical psychiatry, with a focus on biomarkers and an interest in the gut-brain axis and the area of the gut microbiome. She is also CEO of Taylored Biotherapeutics, a drug discovery start-up. This area of Dr. Taylor's work is currently supported, in part, by OBI's NERVE program and Branch Out. </li><li>Dr. Chao Wang is an assistant professor at the Department of Immunology at University of Toronto and a scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute. As the Canada Research Chair in Immunometabolism of Neuroinflammation, she looks at the dynamic role of the immune system in the progression of neurological disorders such as major depression and autism spectrum disorders. Her team focuses on understanding how stress impact the brain in such contexts and identifying factors that can promote stress resilience. Dr. Wang is also a member of the POND Network, an OBI Integrated Discovery Program. Moderated by: Dr. Olivia Ghosh-Swaby, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Kinesiology at Western University. Olivia's research explores the intersection of metabolic health and cognitive aging, with a focus on how risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes impact brain function in older adults. Thank you Branch Out, a Canadian organization working to accelerate neuroscience for brains at their best, for their support of this event. Info at branchoutfoundation.com.</li></ul>

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Exploring the Brain-Gut Axis (Live, In person - Toronto)

More events from Ontario Brain Institute (OBI)

Discover more events from Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), from Health to other experiences you might love.

Exploring the Brain-Gut Axis (Live, In person - Toronto)

More events from Ontario Brain Institute (OBI)

Discover more events from Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), from Health to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.