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Social and population health science approaches to understand the human microbiome

Author

Listed:
  • Pamela Herd

    (Georgetown University)

  • Alberto Palloni

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Federico Rey

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Jennifer B. Dowd

    (Kings College London
    CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy)

Abstract

The microbiome is now considered our ‘second genome’ with potentially comparable importance to the genome in determining human health. There is, however, a relatively limited understanding of the broader environmental factors, particularly social conditions, that shape variation in human microbial communities. Fulfilling the promise of microbiome research — particularly the microbiome’s potential for modification — will require collaboration between biologists and social and population scientists. For life scientists, the plasticity and adaptiveness of the microbiome calls for an agenda to understand the sensitivity of the microbiome to broader social environments already known to be powerful predictors of morbidity and mortality. For social and population scientists, attention to the microbiome may help answer nagging questions about the underlying biological mechanisms that link social conditions to health. We outline key substantive and methodological advances that can be made if collaborations between social and population health scientists and life scientists are strategically pursued.

Suggested Citation

  • Pamela Herd & Alberto Palloni & Federico Rey & Jennifer B. Dowd, 2018. "Social and population health science approaches to understand the human microbiome," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 2(11), pages 808-815, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:2:y:2018:i:11:d:10.1038_s41562-018-0452-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-018-0452-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Jos A. Bosch & Max Nieuwdorp & Aeilko H. Zwinderman & Mélanie Deschasaux & Djawad Radjabzadeh & Robert Kraaij & Mark Davids & Susanne R. Rooij & Anja Lok, 2022. "The gut microbiota and depressive symptoms across ethnic groups," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Barbara B. Warner & Bruce A. Rosa & I. Malick Ndao & Phillip I. Tarr & J. Philip Miller & Sarah K. England & Joan L. Luby & Cynthia E. Rogers & Carla Hall-Moore & Renay E. Bryant & Jacqueline D. Wang , 2023. "Social and psychological adversity are associated with distinct mother and infant gut microbiome variations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.

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