Within a month, the Fourth Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit will take place in Barcelona. The previous editions, held in Evian, Madrid and Miami, were positive proofs of the interest the scientific community has for the hundreds of trillions of bacteria that inhabit our intestines, and their importance to our health. This year will be the Summit’s fourth edition, to be held on 14 and 15 March, after a 2014 replete of discoveries and developments in this exciting field of research.

This year’s Summit is being endorsed by several prestigious medical organizations involved and interested in the topic: the American Gastroenterological Association, the European Society for Neurogastroenterology & Motility (ESNM), the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN),  the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).  Its aim is to present the latest developments related to the bacterial ecosystem that inhabits our digestive system — our gut microbiota — to the medical and scientific community.

Nearly 30 speakers from 10 different countries will lead the Summit sessions aimed at a wide audience of healthcare professionals, including physicians in different specialties (gastroenterology, immunology, oncology, gynaecology, and primary care, among others), and researchers in other disciplines who are interested in gut microbiota. For the first time, there will be a session specifically aimed at registered dietitians, underscoring the importance of nutrition in maintaining a varied and balanced microbiota.

During this year’s sessions, the relationship between gut microbiota and diverse health areas and conditions will be analysed. Some of the topics to be examined are:

  • The maternal imprint on intestinal microbiota
  • Diet and microbiota
  • Faecal microbiota transplantation
  • Probiotics
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

The complete program of the Summit can be found on this website. Registration is open until February 23rd. As the dates for the Summit draw closer, we’ll keep you updated on all the latest news and the different ways to follow what’s happening at the Summit.