The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science at UBCO Okanagan presents DR. EMERAN MAYER

Distinguished Speaker Series featuring Dr. Emeran Mayer

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The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science is pleased to invite the community to this spring’s Distinguished Speaker Series event featuring Gastroenterologist, Neuroscientist and Author Dr. Emeran Mayer.

Dr. Mayer’s talk is titled: What Microbiome Science is Teaching us About our Minds, Guts and the Foods that Fuel Us

About the talk/event:

In recent years, gut health has become a popular buzzword in health and wellness circles—and rightly so.

While we’ve long known that our guts are responsible for breaking down the foods we eat, and absorbing the nutrients that help our bodies function optimally—what does it mean to have a healthy gut, and how do you know if yours is healthy?

On Monday, April 14, 2025 at the Kelowna Community Theatre, World-renowned Gastroenterologist, Neuroscientist and Author Dr. Emeran Mayer will speak about the evolving field of microbiome science. Through a lens of interconnectivity, Dr. Mayer will explain the complex, bi-directional interactions between our brain, our gut and its microbial inhabitants, and how system disturbances can result in inflammatory changes and an increased risk of disease.

He'll also discuss the significant role that diet can play in these interactions, and what dietary and lifestyle changes people can adopt to decrease the likelihood of these disturbances. This includes advice on the importance of consuming plants that are grown in soils with a healthy microbiome to increase the health and nutrient content of the plants.

Dr. Mayer’s presentation will conclude with an audience Q&A session moderated by Dr. Deanna Gibson, Professor of Biology at UBC Okanagan, followed by a short reception in the Kelowna Community Theatre lobby.

This is a free, community event, but pre-registration is required.

About the speaker:

Dr. Emeran A. Mayer is a Gastroenterologist, Neuroscientist and Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California - Los Angeles. He has published 430 scientific papers, and is the author of The Mind Gut Connection, The Gut Immune Connection, and a recipe book titled Interconnected Plates. He recently produced a documentary film for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States on the mind, gut and immune connection and was featured in a MasterClass.com piece on the same topic.

In addition to Dr. Mayer’s academic interests, he has a longstanding interest in ancient healing traditions. He is a strong believer in Buddhist philosophy, and got married in a Tibetan monastery by Choekyi Nyima Rinpoche in Kathmandu. Dr. Mayer was a member of UCLA’s Zen Center for several years, and regularly pursues meditative practices.

This is a free event, but pre-registration is required.