Taking place across our Autumn/Winter season, Thackray Insights invites you to delve deep into eye­ opening topics and explore the unheard stories of medicine.

Our guts are home to a complex and fascinating community of millions of microbes known as the gut microbiome. They exist in a delicate balance, helping us digest food, produce vitamins, keep our immune systems working well and importantly, protecting us from disease-causing microbes called pathogens. Dr Jane Freeman will describe how an artificial model of the gut microbiome – filled with poo – is teaching us new ways of protecting this vital and misunderstood part of the body.

What happens when you manure a vegetable patch with human faeces? Studies by the Ancient Parasites Laboratory at University of Cambridge found that Medieval monks were ‘riddled with worms’ and parasitic infection. In this talk, the leader of that group Dr Piers Mitchell explores the impact of intestinal parasites on ancient civilizations in Britain and across the world.

About the Speakers

Dr Jane Freeman, FRCPath is an Associate Professor in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leeds and Clinical Scientist in microbiology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Dr Piers Mitchell leads the Ancient Parasites Laboratory. He has published more than 200 scientific articles and six books as well as filming for over 20 TV documentaries about disease in past populations.

Interested in attending multiple events in the season? Add three or more Insights events into your basket for a 20% discount on your overall purchase at checkout.

We also offer a select number of free Insights tickets for students studying A-Level or above - email groups@thackraymuseum.org to find out more.