C2ST Artist in Residence Aaron Freeman talks with comics artist, pediatrician and allergist Dr. Alex Thomas about the importance of metaphor to his work as an asthma specialist and medical science communicator. The interview is a intro to the topic of graphic medicine leading up to Comic Nurse MK Czerwiec’s workshop, “A Picture is Worth 1000 Words – Teaching Science with Comics”. The workshop will be hosted on Tuesday 12 November at Northwestern University’s Hughes Auditorium 303 East Superior St. in Chicago.

Diet, Gut Bacteria, and Metabolic Disease: Strategies to Promote Healthy Microbial Communities at Geek Bar Beta Chicago’s SCIENCE! Tuesday

The human body is inhabited with trillions of microorganisms, many of which live in the gastrointestinal tract. These microorganisms in the gut are referred to as the gut microbiota and recent research findings indicate that they play a major role in the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease. For example, consumption of “westernized” diets that are typically high in fat is believed to cause microbial dysbiosis, or a disruption of healthy microorganisms in the gut and has been associated with obesity.

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