‘What’s living in my Gut?’ Workshop Led by Manpreet Murjal

This interactive session would guide participants through the science of the human gut microbiome, starting with a brief introductory video about my study, the INSIGHT Trial, followed by a hands-on exploration of a gut model. Attendees will learn about the gut-brain-heart axis through a couple of PowerPoint slides and a possible hands-on activity using a large poster and post it notes. This will lead to asking the question, what feeds our gut? Participants will learn about fibre and engage in activities on how fibre shapes gut health, as well as sample inulin fibre biscuits currently being used in my research.

Towards the latter part of the session, the focus will be on the cohort my research work focuses on: South Asian males and females. This crucial point will be used to articulate our ‘Challenging Pasts’, whereby data from studies have involved predominantly Caucasian cohorts and, often, predominantly male cohorts. The outcomes from these homogenous data sets were then used to apply to all in society. Thus, this work is a driving force for ‘Critical Futures’, whereby study cohorts better represent our diverse society so that researchers are empowered to question the established narratives based on a few. This work also addresses the disproportionate disease burdens seen within South Asian communities, confronting past oversights in research diversity and moving toward a future in which broader representation informs critical discoveries for global health