Grant: Project Grant

The prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and various other intellectual and learning disabilities has dramatically increased in Canada and worldwide over the last 2 decades. While understanding why neurodevelopmental disorders are on the rise is complex-as genetic disruptions and environmental challenges have both been shown to contribute to abnormal brain function and behavioural impairments-we are becoming increasingly aware that the fetus is critically sensitive to early life exposures and disrupting the intrauterine environment may play a larger role in the rise in neurodevelopmental disorders than once thought. For example, maternal insults and exposures have been shown to disrupt fetal neurodevelopment, resulting in lifelong neuropsychiatric consequences. A common feature reported across various studies relates to disruptions of the immune system, suggesting that immune cells within the developing fetal brain may sense changes in their surroundings and respond by altering brain development. Although we have made important advancements in our understanding of the genetic contribution to neurodevelopmental disorders, our understanding of how the intrauterine environment impacts fetal brain development has lagged behind-especially as it relates to maternal mental health and the involvement of maternal stress in fetal brain disruptions. To address this gap in our knowledge, my laboratory will study how microglia-the immune cells of the brain-sense maternal stress and transmit this information to nearby neural cells, thereby altering brain development in the fetus. We predict that microglia may be an underappreciated fetal brain sensor-providing key linkages into how the maternal environment influences the developing brain. This is important as it may provide new avenues for managing and treating neurodevelopmental disorders.