Reading Geek Night - More Than a Gut Feeling..

Links to the local STEAM groups + #rdggeek Link Tree

We are looking for speakers for 2026 and beyond. If you would like to get involved and support your local Reading Geek community please get in touch – email: talks [at] rdggeeknight.org or via Twitter: @RDGGeekNight Speaking slot availability can be found via the website.

Our monthly meetups are held upstairs at Zero Degrees (9 Bridge St, Reading RG1 2LR) from 7pm.

So please do come along, grab a beer/food at the downstairs bar (the mango beer and wood fired pizza are epic) and come share your geekery and enjoy a relaxed evening of talks + networking + beers.

Everyone welcome!

• 7:00pm Arrivals
• 7:30pm Welcome and Introductions
• 7:35pm More Than a Gut Feeling: How can we aid metabolic, mental and sleep health through nutrition? (Charlotte Weston, Greg Patient, and Vanessa Simoes – University of Reading)
• 8:30pm Short announcements/updates*
• 8:35pm Pub Quiz (Please bring a pencil & paper)
• 9:30pm End(Networking and beers downstairs)

More Than a Gut Feeling: How can we aid metabolic, mental and sleep health through nutrition? (Charlotte Weston, Greg Patient, and Vanessa Simoes – University of Reading)

Hello! Our names are Charlotte Weston, Greg Patient, and Vanessa Simoes. We are PhD students at the University of Reading. We work as part of the Nutrition, Cognition and Mental Health Lab in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, as well as the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics. Our research focuses on how fermented dairy, probiotics and prebiotics can affect mood, cognition, sleep and neural activation.

Can changing what we eat alter how we feel, think and sleep? We will dive into the growing evidence behind the relationship between food, gut microbes and the brain. Moving from fermented dairy to probiotics and prebiotics, the talks will explore three distinct areas of research: whether foods such as yoghurt, kefir and cheese are associated with mood and cognition, particularly considering metabolic health factors; how probiotic supplementation may affect mood, cognition and patterns of neural activity; and whether prebiotics can influence mood and sleep in healthy adults who have trouble sleeping. We will share findings from recent studies, identify important gaps in the evidence and offer a glimpse into the research being planned to answer them, including ways you may be able to take part!

About Reading Geek Night

A friendly and welcoming community for enthusiasts.

Every second Tuesday of the month Reading Geek Night has talks on various topics about science, tech, design & geekery. The usual format is to gather from 7:00pm and commence the talks at 7:30pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Get involved and support the community
If you would like to get involved with your local #rdggeek community by giving a talk or hosting a quiz at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: **talks [at] rdggeeknight.org**

Speaking slot availability can be found via the website.