Caltech Watson Lecture Dec. 2: Microbiologist Sarkis Mazmanian on Gut Microbiome and Brain Health; Free Registration Full, Standby Available
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, will present the December installment of its Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium on the Caltech campus (1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena). Microbiologist Sarkis Mazmanian will speak on "Trust Your Gut: Microbiome Influences on Brain Health and Disease."
Mazmanian is Caltech's Luis B. & Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology and a Merkin Institute Professor. While the brain receives visual, auditory and other sensory information, he notes, the majority of molecular input to the brain comes through the gastrointestinal tract, and many molecules produced by gut bacteria can be found in the brain. His laboratory studies how the constant communication between gut and brain affects behavior and brain function; harnessing that link may uncover causes of disorders such as Parkinson's disease and enable therapies based on entirely novel biological principles.
Admission is free, but advance registration is required and Caltech's website shows registration is full. Guests without reservations are welcome at the preshow beginning at 6 p.m. (food, music and interactive displays, no registration needed) and may join the standby line by 6:50 p.m. for any seats that open up. Details: events.caltech.edu.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州理工学院 Beckman Auditorium，Watson 讲座系列的举办地。Yisong Yue 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons / Photo: Beckman Auditorium at Caltech, home of the Watson Lecture Series. By Yisong Yue, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
