Show notes
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman sits down with Dr. Sabine Hazan, MD, a gastroenterologist, hepatologist, internal medicine specialist, and microbiome researcher whose work centers on the human gut microbiome and fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT.
Dr. Hazan founded ProgenaBiome, a genetic sequencing research laboratory focused on understanding patterns within the microbiome, and she has spent decades working in clinical research. Her journey into microbiome science began through gastroenterology, biologic therapies, recurrent C. difficile, and a fundamental question: if changing the gut can change disease, what exactly are we changing?
The conversation explores fecal microbiota transplantation, stool testing, Bifidobacteria, gut-brain signaling, autism, Alzheimer's disease, long COVID, Crohn's disease, probiotics, microbiome compatibility, and the challenge of studying a biological ecosystem that may be far more individualized than medicine once assumed.
Throughout the discussion, Dr. Hazan repeatedly emphasizes that much of this work is still research in progress, and she frames several of her observations as hypotheses that need further replication rather than settled clinical conclusions.
Key Topics Covered
- Why Dr. Hazan began studying the microbiome
- Her background in gastroenterology and clinical trials
- Crohn's disease and biologic therapies
- Fecal microbiota transplantation
- Recurrent C. difficile
- Why microbiome testing needs validation and standardization
- The limitations of commercial stool testing
- CAP and CLIA laboratory standards
- Why FMT may require donor-recipient compatibility
- Why stool should not be treated like a one-size-fits-all product
- Bifidobacteria and healthy aging
- Bifidobacteria and immune function
- The gut-brain axis
- Autism and microbiome research
- Alzheimer's disease and gut microbial patterns
- Long COVID and microbiome changes
- Crohn's disease and intestinal inflammation
- Calprotectin and mucosal health
- Probiotics and product-label accuracy
- Why “more treatment” is not always better for the microbiome
- Antibiotics and microbial shifts
- Nutraceuticals and microbiome research
- Light, sound, frequency, and environmental exposures as emerging research areas
- Why microbiome restoration may take many months
- The need for longitudinal testing and follow-up
In This Episode, You Will Learn
✅ Why Dr. Hazan believes the microbiome should be studied as an ecosystem rather than treated as a single supplement target
✅ How her early work with FMT made her question whether every donor sample is appropriate for every patient
✅ Why she believes microbiome compatibility may eventually matter in a way similar to blood-transfusion compatibility
✅ Why stool tests should be reproducible before clinicians base treatment decisions on them
✅ How Bifidobacteria became one of the central organisms in her research
✅ What she has observed in research involving autism, Alzheimer's disease, long COVID, Crohn's disease, and other conditions
✅ Why the gut-brain relationship may involve both loss of beneficial microbes and overgrowth of other organisms
✅ Why she cautions against repeatedly adding antibiotics, antifungals, probiotics, or other interventions without understanding what they are doing to the microbial ecosystem
✅ Why microbiome improvement may require long-term monitoring rather than one short intervention
Resources & Links
🌐 Dr. Sabine Hazan:
https://sabinehazanmd.com/
🧬 ProgenaBiome:
https://progenabiome.com/
🔬 Microbiome Research Foundation:
https://microbiomeresearchfoundation.org/
📘 Let's Talk Sh!t
By Dr. Sabine Hazan
Dr. Hazan notes that ProgenaBiome's stool testing is conducted within research protocols and cautions that participants should not treat research sequencing results as direct treatment instructions.
Connect With Dr. Sabine Hazan
🌐 Official Website:
https://sabinehazanmd.com/
🧬 Research & ProgenaBiome:
https://progenabiome.com/
🔬 Microbiome Research Foundation:
https://microbiomeresearchfoundation.org/
Dr. Hazan also shares research updates through social platforms including X and Instagram.
Resources & Links:
🌐 Dr. Aaron Hartman – Richmond Functional Medicine: richmondfunctionalmedicine.com
🌐 LinkedIn – Dr. Aaron Hartman: Connect Here
📺 YouTube – Richmond Functional Medicine: Watch Here
🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle
Mentioned in this episode:
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
