| Biography | |
|---|---|
 Prof. Min-Tze LIONG School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia |
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| Title: Gut & Brain: A View from the Perspectives of Gut Microbiota | |
| Abstract: Probiotic microorganisms have a long history of safe use and have been documented for their various health benefits. Many strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the genera of Lactobacillus have been identified to possess probiotic properties. They have been much emphasized on their roles to regulate gut well-being, including the alleviation of lactose intolerance, improvement of diarrhoea and inhibition towards pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Recent evidences have illustrated the potential of LAB for brain health, ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to stress, memory and cognition. Lactobacillus plantarum DR7, a cow’s milk isolate from Penang, Malaysia has shown a reversal of symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s Disease in a fruit fly model, accompanied by distinct changes of gut microbiota profiles. In aging and hyperlipidemia rats, DR7 has shown improved stress and anxiety symptoms, accompanied by improved memory. The administration of DR7 for 12-weeks in stressed adults has contributed to improve stress and anxiety scores, in addition to memory and cognitive abilities, primarily via enhancement along the serotonin pathway and maintenance of the dopamine pathway. My talk will highlight the evidence of a probiotic strain, primarily targeting brain and gut health, via models ranging from insects to human. | |
| Biography: Min-Tze LIONG obtained her PhD from Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia (2006) at the age of 28. She joined Universiti Sains Malaysia in Dec 2006, promoted to Senior Lecturer in Aug 2008, Associate Professor in July 2010 and Professor in October 2015. She has actively published research papers, serves as Editorial Board members of reputable journals, and delivered keynote and plenary lectures both nationally and internationally. Prof. Liong has also commercialized her research to industries from Asia and Europe. Prof. Liong was the recipient of the Best Research Student Award (Victoria University, Australia; 2006), finalists for the Malcolm Bird Award (Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology; 2006), and named one of the three top young women scientists in Malaysia (2007) by FWIS L’Oreal-UNESCO. She was also awarded the IAP Young Scientist, to represent Malaysia at the World Science Forum in Budapest to pitch for changes in science policies in the Hungarian Parliament (2015). In 2016, Prof. Liong was named as one of the Top Research Scientists of Malaysia, awarded by Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). In 2020-2022, she is listed among the top 2% of global scientists as compiled by Stanford University. More information could be obtained from www.liongmintze.wix.com/mintze. | |
