Stanford University
Gut Health and the Microbiome
Uncover the impact of the gut microbiome and how it contributes to overall health.
Start date
24 February 2025
Course duration
2 weeks
Language
English
Access resources from start date
Effort
4–6 hours per week
Self-paced learning online
Course overview
Research has linked gut microbiome dysfunction to allergies and digestive and autoimmune diseases. Along with this, poor gut health contributes to mental health issues.
Mongabay (Apr, 2022).Fermented foods could change gut microbiota and reduce inflammatory markers. As a result, diet has the potential to increase gut microbial diversity and regulate immune responses.
Science Direct (Aug, 2021).Duration: 2 weeks
The growing body of research on the connection between gut health and overall well-being has given rise to the popular saying, ‘you are what you eat.’ As infants, humans begin to host a community of microbes in their gastrointestinal tract, numbering anywhere from 10 to 100 trillion. Just as the body changes, the gut microbiome also evolves and is influenced by factors such as diet and environment. Recent studies suggest that these microbes can impact more than just the gut — they also regulate the immune system.1 This has sparked scientific and medical interest in comprehending the complexities of the human microbiome and its potential to improve overall health.
The Gut Health and the Microbiome online micro course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), offers to help individuals learn about the science behind the human microbiome. In just two weeks, learners can discover the various aspects of the microbiome, how it integrates with human physiology, and how it can improve overall health and combat disease beyond just the gut. Subject faculty from SCHE will guide learners through the microbiome's role in treating various disease states and how it can be leveraged to create precision health therapies in the future.
1Cell (Jul, 2021).
Is this course for you?
This course is suited to individuals who are interested in the characteristics of a healthy microbiome and the role it plays in nutrition and wellness. It’s applicable to allied health professionals who want to enhance their patients' well-being and quality of life. This includes fitness and wellness specialists, dietitians and nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and personal trainers. The micro course will also benefit non-healthcare professionals and individuals who are interested in understanding how the gut functions, and optimizing their overall health through diet and lifestyle modifications.
This course, from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine, provides evidence-based insights into nutrition and wellness. Highlighting the institution's expertise, the course teaches key insights that were featured in the Netflix series You Are What You Eat. This documentary tracks a Stanford Medicine study, facilitated by Christopher Gardner, comparing vegan and omnivore diets in identical twins, reinforcing the importance of evidence-based dietary advice for improving health outcomes.2
2 Stanford Report (2024).
Course overview
Introduction
Duration: 2 weeks
The growing body of research on the connection between gut health and overall well-being has given rise to the popular saying, ‘you are what you eat.’ As infants, humans begin to host a community of microbes in their gastrointestinal tract, numbering anywhere from 10 to 100 trillion. Just as the body changes, the gut microbiome also evolves and is influenced by factors such as diet and environment. Recent studies suggest that these microbes can impact more than just the gut — they also regulate the immune system.1 This has sparked scientific and medical interest in comprehending the complexities of the human microbiome and its potential to improve overall health.
The Gut Health and the Microbiome online micro course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), offers to help individuals learn about the science behind the human microbiome. In just two weeks, learners can discover the various aspects of the microbiome, how it integrates with human physiology, and how it can improve overall health and combat disease beyond just the gut. Subject faculty from SCHE will guide learners through the microbiome's role in treating various disease states and how it can be leveraged to create precision health therapies in the future.
1Cell (Jul, 2021).
Is this course for you?
This course is suited to individuals who are interested in the characteristics of a healthy microbiome and the role it plays in nutrition and wellness. It’s applicable to allied health professionals who want to enhance their patients' well-being and quality of life. This includes fitness and wellness specialists, dietitians and nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and personal trainers. The micro course will also benefit non-healthcare professionals and individuals who are interested in understanding how the gut functions, and optimizing their overall health through diet and lifestyle modifications.
This course, from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine, provides evidence-based insights into nutrition and wellness. Highlighting the institution's expertise, the course teaches key insights that were featured in the Netflix series You Are What You Eat. This documentary tracks a Stanford Medicine study, facilitated by Christopher Gardner, comparing vegan and omnivore diets in identical twins, reinforcing the importance of evidence-based dietary advice for improving health outcomes.2
2 Stanford Report (2024).
How is this course different?
What will set you apart
A foundational understanding of the microbiome and how it’s integrated into human physiology.
Practical strategies to improve health and treat disease beyond the gut.
Knowledge of how the microbiome guides precision health therapeutics.
Insight into how the microbiome is targeted to treat a variety of disease states.The curriculum
Gut microbiome configurations and functions
Explore the development and composition of the microbiome, and how this microbial community contributes to overall health.
- Define what the microbiome is and how it is formed after birth
- Describe how industrialization has impacted gut health and the microbiome
- Discuss how diet, medical, and lifestyle choices influence microbiome composition and function
- Relate how the microbiome affects overall health beyond the gut
Modulating the microbiome for health
Discover how your day-to-day choices can optimize the microbiome for improved gut and overall health.
- Identify dietary supplements and foods that influence microbiome health
- Review how safe exposure to environmental microbes provides health benefits
- Articulate why the microbiome is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention
- Evaluate precision approaches to modulating the microbiome for improved health or disease treatment
- Propose an approach to harness microbiome plasticity for improved gut and overall health
Academic Directors
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Erica Sonnenburg
Senior Research Scientist, Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University
Your skills recognized
Demonstrate your expertise online with an official digital badge from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE).
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How you'll learn
This online course is broken up into a manageable units designed to accelerate your learning process through diverse activities:
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Work through your downloadable and online instructional material
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Interact with your peers and learning facilitators through class-wide forums
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Enjoy a wide range of interactive content including tutor lead videos, podcasts, quizzes, and more
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Receive a tool kit for practical application in your career
Apply what you learn throughout this two-week online micro course and develop practical strategies to improve gut health and impact general wellness.
Your success team
Online education provider GetSmarter offers a personalized approach to online learning that ensures you’re supported every step of the way.
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Head Tutor
A subject matter expert who’ll guide you through content-related challenges.
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Global success team
Available 24/7 to solve your tech-related and administrative queries and concerns.
A powerful collaboration
The Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) is collaborating with GetSmarter to create a new class of learning experience — one that is high-touch, intimate, and personalized for the working professional.
About Stanford (SCHE)
Stanford (SCHE) supports an effective and efficient approach to the training of health professionals across the globe while empowering the public through access to credible, accessible, and engaging health education. Improving upon conventional approaches to healthcare education, SCHE aims to increase the global availability of well-trained healthcare professionals, create a more informed public, and improve health outcomes in some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
About GetSmarter
GetSmarter, a 2U, Inc. brand, partners with the world's leading universities and institutions to select, design and deliver premium online courses with a data-driven focus on learning gain. Technology meets academic rigor in GetSmarter’s people-mediated model, whose interactive online format allows for self-paced learning and a greater level of learner engagement.
Improve health beyond the gut
Discover the gut microbiome’s crucial role in physical and mental wellness, and gain practical strategies for improving health both in and beyond the gut.
Want to know more?
Payment options
You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.
Seek employer assistance
By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?
Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.
If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.
Manage your time
GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.
At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your Success Adviser who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.
Discover the Online Campus
The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.
On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.
