Public Lecture at Harvard: How Maternal Signals 'Rewire' Baby's Brain to Influence Cognitive and Emotional Outcomes

Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD
Distinguished Professor, Pediatrics; Anatomy/NeurobiologyNeurology, Physiology/BiophysicsD.D.Shepard Professor of Neurological Sciences
Director, UCI Conte Center on Brain Programing in Adolescent Vulnerabilities

Early-life experience influences vulnerability and resilience to cognitive and emotional problems later in life. This takes place, at least in part, via expression changes of numerous genes in specific brain cells that endure via epigenetic modification of the chromatin. However, we do not yet know the critical properties of the signals that are transmitted to the developing brain, how such signals reach specific target neurons, and how they instruct these neurons to modulate sets of molecules that lead to epigenetic changes. This information is needed for informed interventions aiming to enhance or ameliorate the effects of early-life experience on cognitive and emotional outcomes.

Wednesday November 20th at 6:30 pm
The Biological Labs, Room 1080
16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge

Free and open to the public

Seating is limited, please register at: http://conte.harvard.edu/events/