Developmental and environmental influences on physiology and behavior--2014 Alan N. Epstein Research Award

Environmental factors acting during development of an individual may influence future health and disease susceptibility. Stressors, including altered diet, psychosocial stress, and immune challenge, during gestation can have negative consequences on the intrauterine environment and increase disease susceptibility of the developing fetus. The long-term effects on offspring have been observed in humans and include greater susceptibility to psychiatric disease, such as depression and anxiety disorders, and adverse metabolic conditions including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Studies in my laboratory use rodent models and incorporate a multilevel approach to determine the behavioral, physiological, and neurobiological correlates of disease development as a consequence of early life stressors. The road I took in developing this research program was a rather circuitous one and navigating that path would not have been possible without the many mentors, colleagues, fellows and students who provided critical support. Although my name appears on the plaque of the Alan N. Epstein Research Award, I share this with all those I had the privilege of working with along that road, as briefly summarized in this article.