Seminar: The Gut Microbiome’s Role in Neurodegeneration
Join us for a scientific seminar exploring the critical role of the gut microbiome in neurodegenerative disease.
This special event features keynote speaker Dr. Elizabeth Bess (UC Irvine), whose groundbreaking work links gut microbes to Parkinson’s disease progression. Additional guest talks from experts at UC San Diego and Complete Genomics will highlight cutting-edge advances in microbiome research, spatial biology, and data-driven discovery.
Register Now
Key Details:
📅 Date & Time: Tuesday, June 3, 9:30am-12:30pm
📍 Location: Moores Cancer Center, 2nd Floor Comer Commons
☕🥐🥗 Breakfast and lunch will be provided!
*Zoom is available upon request*
Event Agenda:
Keynote: Finding Catalysts of Gut Reactions: The Gut Microbiota in Disease Onset and Treatment
Dr. Elizabeth Bess, UC Irvine Dept. of Chemistry
Intro to DNBSEQ and STOmics Spatial Biology
Drew Kebbel, Complete Genomics
Local Environments, Microbiota, and the Intersection with Human Health
Dr. Andrew Bartko, UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation
About the Speakers:
Dr. Elizabeth Bess – Professor, Department of Chemistry, UC Irvine
Dr. Elizabeth N. Bess received her B.S. degree from the University of Utah in Biological Chemistry in 2009. In 2015, Elizabeth earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry working with Professor Matt Sigman to develop methods for mathematically describing and predicting outcomes of chemical reactions. As an HHMI postdoctoral fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation, Elizabeth worked in the microbiology lab of Professor Peter Turnbaugh at the University of California, San Francisco (2015–2018). There, she discovered how gut bacteria convert molecules abundant in plant-rich diets to new molecules that have anti-breast cancer effects. Elizabeth joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine in 2018. Her lab is fusing chemistry and microbiology to interrogate the chemical mechanisms by which the human gut microbiome impacts human health and disease.
Dr. Andrew Bartko – Executive Director, Center for Microbiome Innovation, UC San Diego
Dr. Andrew Bartko serves as executive director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) at UC San Diego, which exists to inspire, nurture and sustain vibrant collaborations between UC San Diego microbiome experts and industry partners. Serving in this role since July 2020, he is responsible for leading a team focused on fostering and expanding industry and academic collaborations to accelerate microbiome discovery and create innovative technologies to advance the field and enable major clinical breakthroughs. Dr. Bartko also holds a concurrent title of professor of practice in the Departments of Bioengineering and Pediatrics.
Prior to CMI, Dr. Bartko was a research leader at Battelle Memorial Institute, a nonprofit global research and development organization committed to science and technology for the greater good. Dr. Bartko has developed products for clinical diagnostic purposes and has created a portfolio of intellectual property including 15 patents that has been successfully licensed into the industrial research base. In 2018, he received Battelle’s Inventor of the Year Award for a career’s worth of innovation. He brings more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience in various roles throughout his career. Dr. Bartko received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and his PhD in physical chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and he was a postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Drew Kebbel – Technical Sales Specialist, Complete Genomics
Drew Kebbel is a biotechnology expert with over 18 years of experience in NGS, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics technologies. Prior to joining Complete Genomics as a Technical Sales Specialist, he held commercial roles at 10x Genomics, Illumina, and Veranome Biosystems, specializing in technical sales and customer support. With a background in biomedical engineering and molecular biology, Drew enjoys partnering with researchers to implement innovative genomic solutions in cancer, microbiome, and spatial biology research.
