The intestine is the second brain of the body, still it is neglected: Dr Neerja Hajela

Know more about the role of intestinal microbiota and probiotics in what promises to be an intellectually edifying webinar, organised by the School of Biosciences, Apeejay Stya University.

As you may be aware, Food Biotechnology has emerged as a booming sector these days and many companies are looking for food scientists to hire. Students across the world with a keen interest in ‘Food Biotechnology’, who want to know what India is doing in this field can participate in what promises to be an edifying seminar.

The School of Biosciences, Apeejay Stya University (ASU) is organising a webinar on the “Role of Intestinal Microbiota and Probiotics in Health and Disease” on July 19. The webinar will be held at 12 PM and will focus on food biotechnology and will aim to provide 360-degree awareness on the fast emerging science of the intestinal microbiota and probiotics.

The webinar will be presented by Dr. Neerja Hajela, Head, Science and Regulatory Affairs, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd.

Talking to Apeejay Newsroom, Dr.Subhabrata Kar, Assistant Professor, who is organising this webinar said, “This is an educational webinar where Dr. Neerja will not just be talking about her product but the science behind it. College students or students who are in class 12, or have completed their class 12 and are strongly interested in food biotechnology can join this webinar. I am sure students will learn a lot from this webinar.”

Dr. Neerja Hajela, speaking exclusively to Apeejay Newsroom before the webinar, said India has witnessed a spurt in the popularity of probiotic foods in the last few years. These foods are regulated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and are scientifically tested for their health benefits.

In her lecture, she will be talking about how the intestine is one of the most neglected organs of the human body. “The intestine is also the second brain of the human body because it harbours the enteric nervous system with 100 million neurons that connect with the brain,” she said.

She will also share details about the balance of the microbes, which is very important for a state of good health and well-being. The participants can also learn about dysbiosis, an imbalance in the microbes linked to several disease conditions.  Plus, how probiotics play an important role in ensuring the proper development and maturation of the immune system.


ABOUT THE SPEAKER 

Dr. Neerja Hajela
She has completed her Ph. D. in Biotechnology and has a special interest in probiotics. She is currently the Head of Science and Regulatory Affairs at Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. She is involved in the development, planning, and implementation of scientific programmes including clinical trials for the company. She handles all the regulatory issues and ensures compliances related to the category and individual product. Dr Hajela works closely with health care professionals and scientists to advance the science, promote evidence-based clinical use, and improve consumer understanding of probiotics. She is associated with the Asian Federation of Societies for Lactic Acid Bacteria.
 She is a member of the Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India) that aims to establish credibility for the science of intestinal microbiota and probiotics in the country. She is a member of the scientific committee of the Probiotic Association of India. She is also a member of the Governing Council for ILSI-India Knowledge Centre for Functional Foods, Gut Health and Immunity.