This webinar and coffee hour is part of the Microbes and Social Equity 2026 Speaker Series.
Microbiomes, Inequity, and Structural Conditions: Rethinking What Shapes Health
Microbiomes don’t exist in isolation — they reflect the systems we live in.
Dr Bailey will explore how microbiomes are shaped not only by biology, but by the structural conditions in which people live. Drawing on her work in social epidemiology, she will examine how factors such as housing, neighborhood environments, policy, and systemic inequities influence exposure, risk, and health outcomes.
Her talk will challenge assumptions that microbiome variation can be understood without considering the broader social context. By reframing microbiome science through the lens of structural inequity, she highlights the need for approaches that address root causes rather than surface-level differences.
After the talk, we continue the conversation with an informal social hour. Join us as we chat with the speaker, MSE members, and attendees about research, teaching, our pets, and more!
Programme (Timings are ET)
11:00 Welcome and introduction – Professor Sue Ishaq, Founder and Lead, MSE
11:05 Guest speaker – Zinzi Bailey ScD
11:45 Audience question and answer session
12:00 Informal coffee and chat
13:00 Close
