BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk// X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Upstairs-Downstairs- The Gut Microbiome as a Key Regulator of Brai n and Behaviour - Professor John F. Cryan\, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centr e\, University College Cork\, Cork\, Ireland DTSTART:20150123T150000Z DTEND:20150123T163000Z UID:TALK56638@talks.cam.ac.uk CONTACT:Louise White DESCRIPTION:There is a growing appreciation of the relationship between gu t microbiota\, and the host in maintaining homeostasis in health and predi sposing to disease. Bacterial colonisation of the gut plays a major role i n postnatal development and maturation of key systems that have the capaci ty to influence central nervous system (CNS) programming and signaling\, i ncluding the immune and endocrine systems. Individually\, these systems ha ve been implicated in the neuropathology of many CNS disorders and collect ively they form an important bidirectional pathway of communication betwee n the microbiota and the brain in health and disease. Over the past 5 year s substantial advances have been made in linking alterations in microbiota to brain development and even behaviour and the concept of a microbiota-g ut brain axis has emerged. Animal models have been essential in moving for ward this frontier research area. In order to assess such a role we use st udies involving\, germ free mice and early-life microbiota manipulations a nd finally probiotic administration in adulthood. We assess neurochemical\ , molecular and behavioural effects following these manipulations. Our dat a show that the gut microbiota is essential for normal stress\, antidepres sant and anxiety responses. Moreover\, microbiota is essential for both so cial cognition and visceral pain. Finally\, there are critical time-window s early in life when the effects of microbiota on brain and behaviour appe ar to be more potent. Manipulation of the microbiota in early life by cesa rean delivery\, antibiotics or stress leads to long-lasting effects on bra in and behavior. Our data also demonstrates that these effects may be medi ated via the vagus nerve\, spinal cord\, or neuroendocrine systems. Such d ata offer the enticing proposition that specific modulation of the enteric microbiota by dietary means may be a useful "psychobiotic"-based strategy for both stress-related and neurodevelopmental disorders ranging from dep ression to autism. \n\nBIOGRAPHY\nJohn F. Cryan is Professor & Chair\, Dep t. of Anatomy & Neuroscience\, University College Cork. He received a B.S c. (Hons) and PhD from the National University of Ireland\, Galway\, Irela nd. He was a visiting fellow at the Dept Psychiatry\, University of Melbou rne\, Australia (1997-1998)\, which was followed by postdoctoral fellowshi ps at the University of Pennsylvania\, Philadelphia\, USA and The Scripps Research Institute\, La Jolla\, California. He spent four years at the No vartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Basel Switzerland\, as a LabH ead\, Behavioural Pharmacology prior to joining UCC in 2005 where he was a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology in the School of Pharmacy and in the Dep t. Pharmacology & Therapeutics UCC. Currently he is also a Principal Inves tigator in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (http://www.ucc.ie/research/ apc/content). Prof. Cryan's current research interests include the neurobi ological basis of stress-related disorders including depression\, anxiety and drug dependence. Moreover\, his group is also focused on understanding the interaction between brain\, gut & microbiome and how it applies to st ress and immune-related disorders\, including irritable bowel syndrome and obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. \n\nProf. Cryan has an H-Index of 57 (Google Scholar) having published over 250 peer-revie wed articles and book chapters. Prof. Cryan is a Senior Editor of Neuropha rmacology and of Nutritional Neuroscience and an Editor of British Journal of Pharmacology. He is Advisory Editor of Psychopharmacology\; on the Boa rd of Reviewing Editors of Brain Research\; an Associate Editor of Frontie rs in Behavioural Neuroscience\; an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Psych opharmacology and Frontiers in Gastrointestinal Pharmacology\; an Editoria l Board Member of Neurogastroenterology & Motility\, Behavioural Pharmacol ogy\; Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews\, Genes\, Brain & Behavior an d International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. \nHe has edited books on "Behavioural Neurogenetics" (Springer Press\, 2012) on"Depression: Fr om Psychopathology to Pharmacotherapy" (Karger Press\, 2010) and “Microb ial Endocrinology: The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease” (Springer Press\, 2014). Prof Cryan received the inaugural University Coll ege Cork Researcher of the Year Award in 2012. Cryan has also been honoure d with the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Fellowship A ward\, the Wyeth Psychopharmacology Award from British Association of Psyc hopharmacology and the Young Scientist Award from the European Behavioural Pharmacology Society. He has received commercialisation awards from UCC i n 2012 and 2013. Further\, in 2013 he received the University of Utrecht A ward for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Research and delivered the Royal Aca demy of Medicine in Ireland Conway Review Lecture and the De Pazzi Lecture at University College Cork. He gave the Wingate Lecture at Barts & The Lo ndon School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2014. Moreover in 2014\, he was a lso named a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher and was included in ‘The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds’ report. Prof Cryan was also a TEDMED Invited Speaker in 2014.\n\n LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Psychology END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR