Virtual Animal Health and Nutrition Forum - “The gut: a second brain? How gut health and nutrition can affect behavior”

Featured speakers:

Diego V. Bohorquez, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Medicine, Assistant Professor in Pathology, Assistant Research Professor in Neurobiology, Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Diego hails from Columbia, and went to the Zamarano University in Honduras. There his initial studies focused on GI physiology and nutrition.  While pursuing a Doctoral degree in Nutrition at NC State University, he was struck by the fact that his friend, after a gastric bypass surgery, had had marked transformation in her perception to taste.  This observation led Diego to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of Gastroenterology at Duke, where he is currently a faculty member.  His research focus is to unveil how the brain perceives what the gut feels, how food in the intestine is sensed by our body, and how a sensory signal from a nutrient is transformed into an electrical signal that alters behavior.

Gail Czarnecki-Maulden, Ph.D.

Senior Research Nutritionist, Nestlé Research Center

Dr. Gail Czarnecki-Maulden is a senior research nutritionist at the Nestlé Research Center in St. Louis. She received a doctorate degree in animal nutrition from the University of Illinois; and a BS in Animal Science from Cornell Univeristy. Prior to joining Nestlé, Dr. Czarnecki-Maulden was associate professor of companion animal nutrition at the University of Illinois. She is a member of the National Academy of Science Board on Agriculture and Natural Re¬sources and the Association of American Feed Control Offi¬cials (AAFCO) Dog and Cat Nutrient Profiles Subcommittee, which sets nutrient standards for dog and cat foods in the U.S. In her per¬sonal life, she is actively involved in therapy dog visits and dog training. She is a certified dog trainer and a licensed Family Paws parent educator, as well as a member of the board of directors of the Greater St. Louis Training Club and Havanese Rescue. She will speak to us on on probiotics that help with anxiety in dogs.