To crack the causes of metabolic disease, Dr. Changting Xiao is peering into the "black box" of the human gut.

As a boy, Xiao frequently ran homemade experiments, trying to figure out how systems work. Over the decades that followed, he observed an 'epidemic' increase in diabetes, obesity, strokes and heart disease.

In this episode, the biomedical researcher explains why he recently moved to Saskatchewan, and his fascination with the human gut, and its role in creating 'bad blood fats'.

"The gut is often overlooked and often under-studied," Xiao said. "The gut is very smart and complex, and there is much more to be learned."