Grant: New Investigator Salary Award - PA: Regional Partnerships Program - Saskatchewan

Psychiatric illness severely affects many thousands of Canadians. Increased understanding of the causes of psychiatric illness may aid in the goal of developing improved treatments or preventative therapies. Adverse events early in life are strongly associated with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and autism. Recent evidence provides direct support for the role of prenatal infection (i.e., exposure to an infection while in utero) as a predisposing factor for psychiatric illness in the offspring. The present research seeks to further understand the specific consequences of prenatal infection using a rat model of viral infection. Discrete measures related to learning and memory and their underlying neural circuits will be taken from rats whose mothers were exposed to either a viral mimetic compound or a control treatment while pregnant. In addition, the potential benefits of a novel strategy aimed at reducing the negative consequences of the infection will be tested. These experiments will significantly increase understanding of the consequences of prenatal infection and potentially provide novel avenues for prevention of psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and autism.