Food As Medicine: Microbiome, Fermentation, and Medicinal Food

In January of 2024, The United States Department of Health and Human Services hosted its first-ever Food as Medicine Symposium. This marks a turning point in our national conversation around diet and nutrition's role in the manifestations of health and disease.

Inspired by decades of research exploring the role of the microbiome in health and disease and thousands of years of traditions of fermented foods being used to sustain health in cultures around the globe, Georgetown's Microbiology and Immunology Department is thrilled to host their first-ever Food As Medicine conference, focused primarily on the role of fermented foods, and interactions among diet and the human gut microbiome and health.

The conference will feature speakers from nutrition and microbiome research alongside chefs, fermented food producers, and researchers who have studied the health impacts of specific diets, including so-called "Blue Zones."

Specific focus topics will include the role of the gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative and psychiatric illness, Cancer with diet and microbiome, COVID-19's interaction with the microbiome, the impact of space travel on the microbiome, and the importance of food security and focus topics. The conference will also include special presentations and demonstrations by fermented food producers, including traditional Japanese sake. The impact of space travel on the microbiome and the importance of food security and healthy food access. The conference will also include special presentations by fermented food producers, including methods of traditional Japanese soy and koji fermentations.

The conference will take place on May 9th and 10th at Georgetown University's Proctor Auditorium at the Medical-Dental Building, 3900 Reservoir Rd,m NW Washington DC 20057.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Proctor Auditorium, The First Floor, Med-Den Building, 3900 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, United States