Many cases of foodborne illness are preventable and people can play a big part in prevention. Consumers as well as retail food preparers have a great deal of power to eliminate harmful bacteria with a few simple safety strategies. As the final handlers of food, they have control over how to store it, prepare it, cook it, and, most important, whether or not to eat it.

Dr. Cathy Forestell, “Role of Experience in the Development of Children's Food Preferences”
This talk will focus on the impact of early sensory experiences on the development of food preferences and acceptance. As children mature, they are exposed to a rich array of tastes, odors and textures (collectively referred to as flavors). This begins with their first exposure to flavors before birth and subsequently during the period of exclusive milk feeding, when flavors from the mothers’ diet are transmitted to her amniotic fluid and later to her milk. As a result of these early experiences, these flavors become more acceptable and preferred by the child. After the introduction of solid foods, their preferences are further modified as children begin to learn about the physiological and social consequences associated with these foods. Since early childhood preferences tend to shape subsequent adulthood eating patterns, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying their development so that we may develop effective strategies for shaping healthy eating.

Dr. Maja Petrova, “Obesity, A Growing Problem: Causes, Prevention, Health Risks and Treatment”
Despite the popularity of jogging, biking and “working out”, and the increasing choices of low-fat and fat-free foods, the weight problem in the U.S. is getting worse, not better. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. Obesity is considered a long-term, complex disease. Many factors are involved in determining why some people are heavier than others. Some of these factors are genetic, and others have to do with culture, environment, eating behavior, and physical activity. Obesity puts people at a greater risk of life-threatening illnesses like heart disease, several types of cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Often overlooked are the psychological and cultural problems associated with being obese, such as low self-esteem, a poor body image, depression, and eating disorders. Because obesity is a chronic disease, it requires long-term management. Treatment consists of modifying eating behaviors, physical activity, counseling, and tracking the triggers for overeating. Medication and surgery may be used if this treatment is not effective. However obesity can be prevented in most people. Developing healthy eating and exercise habits early in life may be the best way to prevent later obesity.

Dr. Stuart McCaughey, “Measuring the firing rate of neurons”
Our brains allow us to do extraordinary things, as well as more mundane ones that we often take for granted. How is this accomplished? Much is still unknown, but the fundamentals of how brain cells communicate with each other have been worked out. I will start with the relatively straightforward example of how the brain “tells” a particular muscle to move and summarize the basic events that allow this to happen, such as the firing of action potentials and release of neurotransmitters. I will also describe how to make direct measurements of the firing rates of neurons, and I will show examples of recordings of neural activity in the brain of a rat.