UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences at Penn State will host Curtis Huttenhower, professor of computational biology and bioinformatics, for a special virtual lecture at 10 a.m. on June 27 in honor of World Microbiome Day. World Microbiome Day was established in 2018 with the goal of raising global awareness about microbiomes, or the communities of microorganisms that live on, in, and around us. The lecture, which will take place virtually over Zoom, is free and open to the public but requires advance registration.
A leading authority in microbiome science and public health, Huttenhower is the co-director of the Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center (HCMPH) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). Huttenhower’s research lies at the intersection of computational biology and human microbiome sciences, where he focuses on driving innovation in computational methods to integrate, analyze and understand how microbial communities function and influence their human hosts. The Huttenhower Lab has developed numerous tools and methods that span microbial profiling, statistical analysis and workflow infrastructure to help predict disease progression and outcomes, and modulation of the microbiome towards better health through development of new microbiome therapeutic interventions.
Huttenhower, who has held a position at Chan School of Public Health since 2009, earned graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Princeton University. In addition to his role as the director of the HCMPH, Huttenhower directs the HSPH Microbiome Analysis Core, contributed extensively to the Human Microbiome Project, and is an associate member at the Broad Institute. His prolific research in analyzing and understanding the functional role of microbes in human health has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon early-career scientists by the U.S. government.
“The One Health Microbiome Center strives to connect the Penn State community and audiences across the nation and around the globe with leaders and visionaries who are shaping our world,” said Seth Bordenstein, director of the OHMC, professor of biology and entomology, and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Microbiome Sciences. “Together with our esteemed speaker, we are dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges by fostering dialogue and collaboration on some of the most complex life science topics.”
Huttenhower’s lecture, which is free and open to the public, will share insights from his research into the ways microbial communities impact and interact with their hosts. Registration is required in advance.