Abstract:

The theory of developmental origins of health and disease predicts pregnancy and infancy to be sensitive early periods of development with long term impacts on trajectories of growth and health across the life course. At a population level, preterm births have been linked to stressful group events, including natural disasters and sociopolitical stressors. Similarly, sex ratios (male births/total live births) have been altered among mammals birthing in adverse environments, a theory termed the Trivers-Willard Hypothesis. Shifting sex ratios may be an adaptive strategy that also applies to humans, which have shown to favor female offspring among populations birthing in poor conditions, given their more reliable chance of reproductive success. After birth, lactation is another sensitive period during which mothers transmit nutrition, hormones, and other bioactive molecules to their offspring, which may help shape strategies for growth and development. MicroRNAs are small noncoding segments of RNA that regulate gene expression and are highly abundant in milk. In this talk, I will discuss research from my lab group on the influence of the early COVID-19 pandemic, a nationwide stressor, on patterns of preterm births in the U.S. and sex ratios in the U.S. and Ireland. Additionally, I will discuss the value of studying exosomal microRNAs in human milk as a novel biomarker of stress and mood, potentially transmitting signals to offspring about maternal environmental conditions.

Zoom link:

https://ucla.zoom.us/j/94308730584?pwd=0YGsaJFEdLd5cMsOhTh465nwJubz9o.1

Meeting ID: 943 0873 0584
Passcode: 308291