2024 Seminar Series
Thursday November 14, 2024 - 2:00 - 3:30 pm EST
Virtual Seminar
Attendance is free but space is limited. Register by visiting the registration page.
More than Nutrition: Examining the Relationship Between Early-Life Stress and the Gut Microbiome in Preterm InfantsEmily Mercer, PhD Candidate
Emily Mercer, PhD Candidate
Emily Mercer is a PhD candidate in the Arrieta lab at the University of Calgary. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at the University of Guelph. Her research examines the maturational patterns of the gut microbiome in infants and the influence of various early-life exposures on these patterns, such as nutrition, medications, and stress-inducing medical procedures. Emily has received various awards throughout her degree, including a CIHR Doctoral Scholarship, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute Scholarships, and funding from the Stratas Foundation.
Tiny Beginnings, Big Impacts: The Maturation of the Gut Microbiome in Preterm InfantsMarie-Claire Arrieta, PhD
Marie-Claire Arrieta, PhD
Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta an Associate Professor and Research Excellence Chair at the University of Calgary in Canada. She received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology from Universidad de Costa Rica, and later received MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Alberta. Following her postdoctoral training at the University of British Columbia, she joined the departments of Physiology, Pharmacology and Pediatrics of the University of Calgary.
Her research studies the how the infant the gut microbiome contributes to human health or disease. Her research program conducts clinical and experimental research, aiming to understand the mechanisms behind the interactions between humans and their microbiome.
Her contributions to this field have been published in leading journals such as Gut, Science Translational Medicine, Cell Host and Microbe and Nature Communications. She has been awarded prestigious research awards, including: the CIHR-Sick Kids New Investigator Award the Killam Emerging Research Leader, Calgary’s top 40 under 40, UCalgary Peak Scholar award, etc. She was also invited to join the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada.
As an advocate of science communication to the public, Dr. Arrieta has written a best-selling public book, Let Them Eat Dirt, and is involved in several science communication initiatives within Canada and abroad, including public talks and a documentary film.