Epigenetic Embedding of Early Life Experiences – How Environments Get Under the Skin
In this talk, Michael Kobor highlights the emerging role of epigenetic modifications at the interface between environments and the genome. Drawing on a large interdisciplinary research network of human population studies with partners from child development, psychology, psychiatry, and epidemiology, Kobor discusses how early life adversities such as poverty and family stress can ”get under the skin” to affect health and behavior across the lifespan. Kobor also reviews the challenges and opportunities associated with the tissue-specific nature of epigenetic marks, and examine the interface between genetic and epigenetic variation. Rooted in the developmental origins of health and disease concept, this presentation provides a new perspective on the nature versus nurture debate.