Today's Messages

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar “Genes and Environment as Factors Mediating Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in FASD”, presented by Dr. Karen Boschen on Monday, September 15th, at 3:00 p.m. in SAMC 151. Attendees are welcome to arrive at 2:30 p.m. to enjoy coffee and cookies leading up to the seminar.

Research Seminar Abstract: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) represent a major public health concern, leading to persistent physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments. The severity of these outcomes is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Maternal nutrition, stress, polysubstance exposure, and genetic background all modulate embryonic sensitivity to prenatal alcohol and shape the phenotypic spectrum of alcohol-related birth defects observed in both clinical and experimental contexts. Our lab uses a mouse model of binge-like alcohol exposure during early gestation to investigate the biological pathways through which alcohol perturbs fetal growth and brain development. In addition, our lab is interested in how intrinsic factors, such as genetics, and environmental co-exposures influence alcohol-related outcomes. For instance, both mutations in single genes and naturally occurring genetic variation can modify the risk to the offspring. Exposure to prenatal stress or cannabinoids can interact with alcohol as well, producing synergistic effects even when alcohol is administered at doses below the threshold to cause physical defects on its own. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabinoids and alcohol converge on overlapping cellular pathways critical for craniofacial morphogenesis and neural development. Investigating the complex interactions between alcohol and other moderating variables enhances our understanding of individual risk factors in FASD and enables us to identify potential mechanisms underlying variability in developmental outcomes.