Deep Dive into Fibre and Its Role in Gastrointestinal Conditions Verified Listing

Join us for an informative webinar delving into fibre’s role in health and how to optimize fibre intake in patients with various gastrointestinal conditions. This knowledge aims to help dietitians and other health care providers provide evidence-based recommendations and practical strategies to improve patient outcomes.

In this webinar, you will learn :

1. Definition and types of fibres, their food sources and health benefits – beyond only focusing on soluble versus insoluble fibre
2. Health benefits of fibres in the context of:
   o Digestive health – constipation and supporting a healthy gut microbiota
   o Metabolic health – cholesterol, blood glucose and weight management
   o Chronic disease prevention – heart disease and colorectal cancer
3. The benefits and potential harm of fibre in gastrointestinal conditions including IBS, IBD and gut dysbiosis
4. Practical advice for dietitians in optimizing fibre intakes for patients with gastrointestinal conditions

Speaker : Dr. Genelle Lunken - PhD, RD, BSc

Dr Genelle Lunken is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is also a registered dietitian and the translational research lead at the IBD Centre of BC. Dr Lunken completed her doctoral studies in Nutritional Science at Massey University in New Zealand, where her research primarily centred on investigating the impact of habitual dietary fibre intake on the response of gut microbiota to a prebiotic (fibre) intervention. In 2017, she relocated to Vancouver, Canada, to commence a postdoctoral fellowship under the guidance of Drs. Bruce Vallance and Kevan Jacobson at UBC. During her postdoctoral fellowship, her research interests expanded to explore the interplay between nutrition, gut microbiota, and inflammation using mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease. As of 2023, Dr Lunken established her own research laboratory at UBC. Her research focuses on expanding our knowledge of host-immune-microbe interactions, with a specific focus on identifying host (i.e., diet) and microbial factors involved in differing responses to medical and dietary therapies. By better understanding individualized responses to treatments, we can move towards developing and using personalized therapeutic programs to improve patient outcomes.