USC Institute for Integrative Health & Wellness
Upcoming Quarterly Symposium
Influence of Psychosocial-Environmental Factors on Obesity and Eating Behaviors: Insights from the Brain-Gut Microbiome Interactions
Presenters: Dr. Arpana Church, Ph.D., Dr. Michelle Dexter, Ph.D.
Date: May 1, 2025, 12-1 PM PST
An accomplished pioneer in medical research focusing on the brain, gut, and microbiome, Dr. Church has a PhD degree in psychology after completing an APA accredited clinical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical Center. Her current research focuses on the interactions between environmental and biological factors in shaping brain-gut microbiome signatures associated with stress-based diseases such as obesity. Broadly defined, this ground- breaking research aims to integrate two systems (the brain and the gut) in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms associated with obesity and altered consumption behaviors. This focus on obesity is key to a deeper understanding of the risk factors for many chronic diseases, and ones that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities and women. Backed by the National Instituted for Health (NIH), Dr. Church’s goal is to develop a comprehensive model that provides a powerful biomarker that will increase diagnostics around obesity in an effort to improve overall health outcomes
Building a Healthier Tomorrow
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OUR MISSION
The mission of the USC-IIHW is to promote the health and healing of individuals, families, and communities we serve through the advancement of the practice of integrative health, the science upon which it is based, and the education of healthcare practitioners and the USC community.
OUR VISION
To transform healthcare by establishing a collaborative, holistic paradigm that promotes health and healing and integrates all aspects of human life: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, cultural, social, and environmental.
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