Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is caused when a baby is exposed to alcohol during pregnancy and affects 4% of individuals in Canada. FASD impacts brain development and facial morphology, and has been linked to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. There is a growing need for early, targeted interventions to minimize these mental health problems, however this is hindered as we do not understand the mechanisms underlying brain changes in FASD and how they relate to mental health outcomes. My study will investigate how the link between prenatal alcohol exposure and mental health in youth may be mediated by brain structure and how brain structure may be used to identify those who may have mental health challenges in the future. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis will be used to identify how brain structure is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure (e.g., how well insulated and dense brain connections are, how folded the brain is), and how this relates to the progression of anxiety and depression symptoms across a two-year period. We will also use 3D facial scans to assess how facial features characteristic of FASD could be used as a proxy for brain structure to provide novel, clinically relevant insights into how face structure relates to functional outcomes in FASD. This study will provide new and meaningful insights into the mechanisms underlying mental health problems in youth with FASD. By enhancing our understanding in this area, this work could be used to 1) provide a basis for developing appropriate interventions to improve mental health in youth with FASD and 2) advocate for additional supports for individuals with FASD at risk of developing mental health problems. These advances will have implications for reducing the societal cost and burden of FASD and importantly improve the health and development of individuals with FASD who have not had the healthiest start to life.