Webinar to Feature MDI Biological Laboratory Scientist James A. Coffman, Ph.D.
BAR HARBOR, MAINE — Neurology Central, an online publication based in the United Kingdom, will sponsor a live webinar with MDI Biological Laboratory scientist James A. Coffman, Ph.D., on the subject of how chronic stress experienced during early development epigenetically programs adult disease risk.
The free one-hour webinar will be held on Thursday, April 13, at 10 a.m. EDT. To register, click here.
Chronic psychosocial stress contributes significantly to public health problems endemic to the modern world, many of which have been linked to chronic inflammation. Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic stress experienced very early in life — even prenatally — increases the risk of developing inflammatory disease in adulthood, including mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Coffman will discuss how chronically elevated glucocorticoid (corticosteroid) signaling is one mechanism that has been hypothesized to account for this correlation and how, consistent with this, chronic exposure to elevated corticosteroids during early development has been found to have long-term effects on adult behavior and immunoregulation.
The webinar will cover such topics as
- How adult disease risk is linked to psychosocial stress early in life
- How animal models chronically exposed to low-dose cortisol during early development develop into adults that misexpress immunoregulatory genes and display aberrant circadian rhythms
Coffman is a developmental biologist whose research is focused on the problem of developmental plasticity, specifically on how exposure to environmental stressors during early development can program adult anatomy and physiology. His work addresses how networks of genes and their protein products work to direct development, a problem he has been working on for over 25 years, beginning as a postdoctoral associate of the late Eric H. Davidson, Ph.D., at the California Institute of Technology. His work also addresses how environmental stressors perturb the activities of transcription factors with key developmental roles, thus influencing the course of development.
The webinar is expected to be of interest to developmental biologists, geneticists, health professionals, immunologists, neurologists, neuroscientists and the public.
About Neurology Central
Neurology Central, an online resource powered by Future Science Group, unites all aspects of neurology to support synergistic progression in the field through collaboration and learning. Designed for medical professionals and endorsed by an expanding board of expert panel members from across the globe, Neurology Central delivers high-quality and relevant content in an accessible and innovative way, helping viewers stay up to date with the latest developments in neurological research by providing the latest news, opinion, peer-reviewed journal articles, multimedia and exclusive content.
About the MDI Biological Laboratory
Our scientists are pioneering new approaches to regenerative medicine focused on drugs that activate our natural ability to heal, and that slow age-related degenerative changes. Our unique approach has identified new drugs with the potential to treat major diseases, demonstrating that regeneration could be as simple as taking a pill. As innovators and entrepreneurs, we also teach what we know. Our Center for Science Entrepreneurship prepares students for 21st century careers and equips entrepreneurs with the skills and resources to turn great ideas into successful products. For more information, please visit mdibl.org.