Bridges of The Body: How The Gut, Immune System & Brain Connect

Join Talks on Tuesdays and the GIN Program at Monash University for a special National Science Week event exploring one of the most fascinating frontiers in modern health science: the connection between your gut, immune system, and brain.

Hosted at Brick Lane Market, this lively evening brings cutting-edge research out of the laboratory and into the bar through three fast-paced talks from leading Australian scientists. Discover how microplastics may influence the earliest stages of life, explore the surprising ways diet can shape brain health, and uncover the hidden conversations happening between your gut and immune system every day.

After the talks, stick around for audience questions, meet the researchers behind the science, and get an up-close look at real microscope images revealing a hidden microscopic world most of us never get to see.

Whether you're naturally curious, love learning something unexpected, or simply want a different kind of night out, this event is designed for everyday people who enjoy big ideas, great conversations, and a drink in hand.

What is the GIN Program?

The Gut, Immune and Neurodevelopment (GIN) Program is a collaborative network of researchers investigating how the gut, immune system, and brain work together to influence human health. Bringing together scientists from across Australia, the program explores everything from microbes and molecules to cognition and disease, helping translate complex discoveries into knowledge that benefits the wider community.

Schedule

5:30pm – Doors Open
6:00pm – Talks Begin
7:00pm – Audience Q&A
7:30pm onwards – Drinks and conversations with the scientists

Speaker 1
Dr Marlene Hao (University of Melbourne)
Microplastics & Mini Humans: What Happens in the Gut's First Chapter

Dr Marlene Hao is a developmental neuroscientist and co-lead of the Stamp-Hao Lab at the University of Melbourne. Her research explores how the enteric nervous system — often called the body's "second brain" — develops and influences health throughout life. Marlene's work sits at the intersection of gut biology, neuroscience, and disease, and she is passionate about making complex science accessible, engaging, and thought-provoking.

Speaker 2
Dr Neha Kaul (Monash University)
Food for Thought: How Diet Shapes the Brain

Dr Neha Kaul is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and clinician-researcher at Monash University. Her work focuses on how nutrition can influence neurological conditions, including epilepsy and other complex brain disorders. Through research spanning ketogenic therapies, critical-care nutrition, and digital health, Neha is helping uncover how what we eat may play a powerful role in how our brains function.