Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Iron-deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, for which pregnant women are most at risk. It is estimated that 23% of Canadian women develop ID during pregnancy, and as many as 50-80% in developing nations. The lasting effects of maternal ID during pregnancy on the offspring include cognitive deficits, high blood pressure, and increased susceptibility for obesity. Our research programme is dedicated to elucidating mechanisms through which ID causes changes in the developmental trajectory of the offspring, thereby causing dysfunction into adulthood despite repletion of iron stores following birth. My PhD thesis focuses on the role of ID in altering the development of the kidney, which is responsible for maintaining the blood pressure set-point within the body. Additionally, we are also studying the role of the vasculature in the progression of high blood pressure. Through employing a rat model of prenatal iron-deficiency, we will assess the effects on both male and female offspring, and determine the mechanisms through which damage to the kidneys and/or vasculature occur. Differences in how male and female offspring cope with this stressor during gestation may contribute, in part, to the tendency of men to develop cardiovascular disease at a higher rate than women. Finally, we will use our animal model as a platform to test novel therapeutics, such as the antioxidant resveratrol.