(P22-049-23) Broadening Perspectives by Situating Nutrition Education in Broader Social Contexts: A Study Protocol

Objectives: The Microbes and Social Equity (MSE) Working Group connects microbiology with social equity research, education, policy, and practice to understand the interplay of microorganisms, individuals, societies, and ecosystems. Given the complexity and nuance of evidence-based nutrition delivery, MSE sought to provide a conceptual structure. The goals are to 1) convene diverse researchers, educators, learners, and practitioners, 2) publish and present evidence-based information within socio-cultural contexts, and 3) teach audiences to define ways for integrating equity into their work.

Methods: MSE hosted a 14-week speaker series in 2021, 2022, and 2023, with researchers from various disciplines (e.g., nutrition, gut microbes, food security). The series lead into a 5-day symposium of speakers and guided discussions to generate co-written documents identifying research needs and resources. We use targeted and non-targeted event promotion to attract audiences, and reach/impact is evaluated through registration, attendance, social media views, or attendee feedback.

The series provides learning sessions that build concepts over time, guiding attendees past the conceptual roadblock of being new to interdisciplinary research and grappling with grand challenges. This extended period to learn stimulates participation in activity-based collaboration during symposia.

2023 symposium attendees will be surveyed on their impressions on the event, how it impacted their perspective on experimental design, if attendees started with the series and followed up with the symposium, and whether the series aided in creating actionable outputs in a guided co-working session.

Results: N/A

Conclusions: Benefits include nuanced knowledge/perspective sharing, establishing and nurturing interdisciplinary collaboration, and sparking conversations on critical topics in nutrition, policy, sustainability, host and microbial metabolism, etc. In the last 3 years, MSE published 4 papers together, with ~ 50 independent papers from members. Event recordings are used as curriculum in nutrition, microbiology, and pre-med biology. Using this framework as a guide, we advocate for collaboration of researchers from multiple disciplines to find innovative solutions to complex nutrition issues.

Funding Sources: NIH/NIDDK, Allen Foundation, National Dairy Council