Food as Medicine: A Microbiome Update for Health Professionals

Health care practitioners and students will learn about the gut microbiome and its role in health and disease at a University of Toronto symposium this fall. The ‘Food as Medicine’ event will highlight recent research on the microbiome, with a focus on nutrition and caring for patients with gastrointestinal conditions and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

“My colleagues and I are seeing more patients more confused than ever about nutrition, and it’s increasingly hard for them to stay abreast of the latest evidence and recommendations,” says Dr. Margaret Rundle, a family physician, U of T alumna and event co-founder. “We get many questions on the microbiome, but much of the available evidence is very new, so learning and sharing knowledge through events like this one is critical.”

The half-day symposium will feature presentations by researchers and clinicians, with panel discussions that include registered dietitians. Topics include fecal microRNA in intestinal homeostasis, management of inflammatory bowel disease, and the microbiome at the bedside and beyond — a talk by Rundle-Lister Lectureship Award winner and U of T Professor Philip Sherman. 

Professor John Sievenpiper is the nutrition medical education coordinator in U of T’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and lifestyle medicine lead for the MD Program. He has been working with registered dietitian Rebecca Noseworthy to improve medical nutrition education and training opportunities for students, trainees, and physicians.

The pair have partnered with administrators in U of T’s medical school and Continuing Professional Development to update the nutrition curriculum in the MD program and for accredited events in continuing medical education, including Food as Medicine.