Microbiomes and One Health: Exploring the Importance of Microbial Communities for Environmental and Host Health

Sierra Raglin, Ph.D., U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Friday, Jan 26th @ Noon,
via Zoom & In-Person at NHB 2049 in Urbana, IL

Join us for lunch, learning, and conversation at the next installment of the HEROP Speaker Series on Friday, January 26th at noon. Coffee and networking session to follow. For folks outside of the UIUC community, please join us via Zoom!

The study of microorganisms and health has traditionally focused on individual disease-causing species at a molecular level. However, we are in a microbial revolution, as ecological research suggests that diverse communities of microorganisms, termed microbiomes, are fundamental for environmental and host health, as they provision nutrients, suppress pathogens, and influence global biogeochemistry and ecosystem stability. This talk will highlight the importance of microbiomes in understanding environmental health and connect the study of microbial communities to human environments to explore their role in equitable One Health research. Additionally, it’ll shed light on the need to integrate human ecology and behavior into microbiome research to dissect the complex multi-scale ecological interactions that influence human health in America.

Sierra Raglin, Ph.D.

Sierra Raglin, Ph.D. is a Post-Doc Research Fellow at the Institute of Genomic Biology here at UIUC. Her research focuses on how humans manipulate soil microbiomes in agricultural systems, including through crop breeding and management practices.

In-Person or Virtual?

The in-person RSVP option is open to the University of Illinois community (students, staff, and faculty). We will have lunch for all attendees who RSVP by Wednesday @10am before the event.

A virtual option via Zoom is available for the public. To register for the Zoom option, please access the following link: https://go.illinois.edu/HEROP-ZOOM-JAN26.

About the Series

The HEROP Speaker Series connects scholars, experts, and innovative thinkers to discuss different conceptual, methodological, and technological facets of public health to better understand the social determinants of health, and how place may influence outcomes. The Healthy Regions & Policies (HEROP) Lab integrates innovative GIScience, public health, and statistical approaches to explore, understand, and promote healthy places. We’re experts in the spatial & social determinants of health. We’re based out of the Dept of Geography & GIScience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.