Canada’s number one microbiologist Brett Finlay speaks about his bestselling book Let Them Eat Dirt, Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World, February 7, 6–9:30 p.m at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom.
This book explains how the millions of microbes that live in our bodies influence childhood development; why an imbalance in those microbes can lead to obesity, diabetes and asthma, among other chronic conditions; and how—from conception on—parents can take concrete steps to positively impact their child’s long-term health. The authors delve into the role of microbes in everything from pregnancy nutrition and birthing methods to choices about feeding and lifestyle (“Should we have a pet?” “Should I give my child an antibiotic and a probiotic?” “Should I let him/her play with a friend who’s ill?”).
Finlay, is the Peter Wall Distinguished Professor at the University of British Columbia. His areas of research interest and accomplishment include host-parasite interactions of pathogenic bacteria, especially enteric bacteria and pioneering the use of cell-based models to study pathogenic bacteria penetrating through epithelial barriers.
- Related UH News: UH Mānoa partners in National Microbiome Initiative, May 26, 2016
