Public Lecture - Periodic Heat Waves, the Human Gut-Liver-Brain Axis and Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases
Summary of the Lecture
Climate change-related rise in the intensities of heat waves have disproportionately harmed masses in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. WHO and Inter-Governmental Planning core groups on climate Change predict irreparable harm to the populace in developing countries who are already reeling from increased incidences of cholera and malaria cases. Increased heat wave conditions and intermittent rainfall often lead to an increase in malaria and cholera cases. This is true for Malawi and Kenya, where recent cholera and malaria cases have been documented. The lecture will (a) delve into the short- and long-term effects of periodic heat wave exposure on the physiology of the gut-immune-neural networks (b) analyze the effect on increased susceptibility to weakening immune defenses especially in those that have HIV, immunosenesence and immunosuppression (c) Predict prevention measures and long-term policy outlook for countries affected by the above environmental hazards.
About the Presenter:
Dr. Chatterjee is a human physiologist with specialized training in immunology. After completing his Ph.D in Inflammation Biology, he pursued his postdoctoral work at the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH. Later, he continued his specialized research in chronic liver disease at Duke University, Division of Gastroenterology. As an environmental physiologist with ties to disease development and progression, he has made significant contributions to the field of environmental disease pathology and host microbiome interactions in conditions such as heat stress and water-borne toxicity. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals in the field of environmental toxicology and pathology. Along with his professorial responsibilities, he currently directs the environmental health and disease laboratory at UCI. He has mentored more than 22 PhD students and several postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. He has been continually funded by NIH, DOD, and the VA, amounting to $7,564,895 million as of 2025.