Bacterial cells on or within our bodies outnumber our own cells by a margin of 10 to 1. These microbial colonies influence many aspects of human health and disease from obvious ones like infections to less obvious chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, even depression. Research that increases our understanding of this microbiome can provide physicians with a new approach to prevention, management and treatment of many illnesses. The Hamilton Association is sponsoring a free public talk on the topic by Dr. Michael Surette, microbiologist in the Farncombe Family Institute for Digestive Health Research and professor in the McMaster Department of Medicine, Saturday March 8 at 8pm in Rm. 1A1, Ewart Angus Centre, MUMC. Q & A with coffee and cookies. No reservations required. See www.haalsa.org for more details.