Peter Angeletti, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences, will give the talk "Lessons from the Fragile Balance of Human and Microbial Communities" at 5 p.m. Oct. 6 in the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center’s Ubuntu Room (Room 202).
The event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed on Zoom; register for the link. His talk opens this academic year's CAS Inquire series, "The Future of the Good Life".
This lecture will explore the parallels between the chaos of societal conflicts and microbial-scale conflicts which promote chronic inflammation and cancer.
Analogous to societal conflicts, dysbiosis of the microbiome can cause disruption of cellular communication, cellular homeostasis, and resistance to disease. Maintaining the “good life” in society does not mean a complete absence of conflict, but that we must manage challenges constructively, striving toward resolution, while emphasizing a vision of well-being that promotes balance within our bodies, our communities, and global society.
Four additional talks scheduled throughout the academic year will come from faculty members in biological sciences, geography, history, and communication studies, culminating in a panel discussion with the speakers in March 2027.
Students in the CAS Inquire program connect with college thought leaders and other inquisitive students to discuss ideas, using a college-wide series of public lectures as a focal point. The series launched in September of 2019, and themes have included the rise of the machines, finding common ground, and pain and pleasure. During the three-year program, CAS Inquire students take specialized courses, help with facilitating the program, and enjoy additional benefits. They can apply, or be nominated by faculty, for the program as freshmen.
