After five years of research and collaboration the Research Priority Area-Personal Microbiome Health (RPA-PMH) has reached its conclusion. To celebrate this journey and reflect on what we have learned along the way, we hosted a special event dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration in microbiome science at the beautiful location of the Royal ARTIS Zoo in Amsterdam.
The morning program brought together researchers from different disciplines and institutions who shared their experiences with interdisciplinary and citizen science projects in microbiome research. The event, including the round table discussion, was chaired by dr. Carla Rodrigues (medical sociologist and member of the RPA-PMH directorate) whose work connects social science perspectives with microbiome and health research. The program opened with an introduction by prof.dr. Egija Zaura, PI of the RPA-PMH. Egija reflected on the development of the RPA and the collaborative network that has grown over the past five years.
The event featured inspiring presentations from dr. Sarah Ahannach (University of Antwerp), dr. Vanessa Harris (Amsterdam UMC), dr. Geert Roelof van der Ploeg (Simula), and prof.dr. Beth Greenhough (University of Oxford). Their talks explored themes ranging from participatory microbiome research and public engagement to interdisciplinary collaboration between biomedical, social, and environmental sciences. Speakers highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges of working across scientific fields, and provided practical insights into how collaboration can strengthen microbiome research and its societal impact. The presentations led to a roundtable conversation on how interdisciplinary approaches can shape the future of microbiome research. Following the morning symposium, participants continued conversations during the lunch and poster session. The afternoon continued with the Amsterdam Microbiome Expertise Center (AMEC) Day, which focused on shaping the future of microbiome collaboration in Amsterdam and beyond.
We were very happy to see so many junior and senior members of the RPA community attending the event, reflecting the network that has grown around the RPA-PMH over the past five years.
We invite you to look at the photos below for an impression of the event.
