The Owerko Family Distinguished Lecture is an invited annual lecture where some of the world's leading researchers in the areas of neurodevelopment and children's mental health are invited to present their research to the Owerko Centre research community and the general public.
This lecture is supported by the Owerko Family Fund in Brain Health through the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
2026 Speaker
Dr. Emeran Mayer, MD
Dr. Emeran A. Mayer is a Gastroenterologist, Neuroscientist and Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He has had a career long interest in clinical and scientific aspects of brain gut microbiome interactions in health and several brain gut diseases, including IBS, IBD, early cognitive decline and autism spectrum, and has been supported by NIH funding in these areas.
He has published 449 scientific papers, co edited 3 books and has an h-index of 137 and 76507 total citations. He published the best selling books The Mind Gut Connection in 2016, The Gut Immune Connection in June 2021, and the recipe book Interconnected Plates in 2023. In 2023, he has produced and directed a documentary film for PBS on the mind gut immune connection, and was featured in a piece by MasterClass.com on Gut Health.
Does Increased Stress Responsiveness Increase Your Health Risk?
Increased stress responsiveness is a trait found in both healthy individuals and those with chronic diseases, such as gastrointestinal disorders. It is linked to changes in the brain, immune system, and gut microbiome. In healthy individuals, it heightens disease risk when exposed to environmental stress, while in patients, it can worsen symptoms and disease progression. Dr. Mayer's talk will explore how identifying those with this trait can help personalize treatments for better outcomes.
Event details:
Date: Tuesday October 27, 2026
Time: 11:00am-1:00pm (Lunch served at 12:00pm)
Location: Theatre 4 and Azrieli Atrium, Health Sciences Centre, Foothills Campus, University of Calgary
Questions? Email us