Research summary
We know that people who experience adversity early in life are predisposed to various diseases—such as mental health issues, heart disease and stroke—but how this works remains unclear. As Canada Research Chair in Early Origins of Health and Disease, Dr. Deborah Sloboda aims to reduce the burden of chronic disease by understanding how adverse experiences that people have prenatally and shortly after birth can alter their health trajectory over their lifetime.
She and her research team are shedding light on prevention and treatment strategies during critical periods of life. They are using advanced microbiological and biochemical methods, pre-clinical and clinical models, community research, and knowledge synthesis approaches to understand how critical periods just before and after birth may influence future health for both the mother and the developing fetus. Ultimately, they could uncover new information to mitigate the risk of chronic disease and improve health.