The Jackson Laboratory will lead a public discussion on the ‘Human Microbiome and Family Health’ at The New Children’s Museum in West Hartford.

Dr. Blake Hanson from Jackson Laboratory will lead the first installment of the New Children’s Museum’s discussion series in West Hartford. Submitted photo

Submitted

In partnership with The Jackson Laboratory, the New Children’s Museum will host the first event of its new discussion series on family health, community, and education topics.

On Thursday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m, Dr. Blake Hanson from The Jackson Laboratory in Farmington, CT, will present “The Human Microbiome: A New Frontier that Might Just Affect Everything” at The New Children’s Museum.

The human microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that live on and in the body, affecting everything from digestion to defense against disease. Through the presentation of cutting edge research and discoveries in the field of microbial genomics, Dr. Hanson will discuss how the human microbiome plays a big role in both healthy and disease states for everyone.

Dr. Hanson’s talk will be followed by an open discussion and meet-the-scientist session. Dr. Hanson holds a PhD in Epidemiology from The University of Iowa and is interested in transmission and colonization of infectious diseases. He currently utilizes advanced technologies to study microbial genomics.

Advanced tickets are available online at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org at $8 for the general public and $5 for members of The New Children’s Museum and college students (with student ID). Tickets will be $10 at the door. Limited seating is available.

In case of inclement weather, Dr. Hanson’s talk and discussion will be held on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m.

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.

The New Children’s Museum and Roaring Brook Nature Center are the region’s premiere destinations for exploration. The New Children’s Museum and Preschool are located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford and Roaring Brook Nature Center is located at 70 Gracey Road in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.