Human neurodevelopment occurs from early pregnancy through to early adulthood. During this time, there are several windows in which the developing brain is sensitive to environmental influence. Such environments can affect the senses, language, learning, memory, and higher-order thinking.
We know that the mix of beneficial organisms in our gut, the microbiome, plays a role in brain development up to at least age three. However, it is not known whether the microbiome has a lasting impact on brain development beyond infancy.
STUDY AIM
The foundations of advanced thinking skills are laid between ages seven and eleven. In the field of microbiome research, this period has notably been neglected. This research proposal aims to map the longitudinal associations between gut microbiome composition and function at age 6 with neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 11, and to identify dietary predictors of neurodevelopmentally relevant microbial characteristics at age 6.
SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
This research proposal will leverage a subset of individuals from our cohort of 250 twin pairs followed from mid-gestation to 11 years of age – the Peri/postnatal Epigenetic Twin Study (PETS). The neurodevelopmental outcome (at age 11) measures are cognition, brain structure and function and behaviour.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
This research proposal will generate new insights into how to support optimal brain development through nutrition beyond the early years and into the under-investigated mid-childhood period.
About Prof. Jeffrey Craig
Prof. Jeffrey Craig is Professor in Epigenetics and Cell Biology, at The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University.
Recognised as a leading national and international authority on epigenetics and twins, Prof Craig has an advanced understanding of the role of epigenetics in the early life origins of health and disease.
Prof Craig has published over 230 peer-reviewed publications, with an average impact factor of 5.4 and an average of 49 citations. He has published in high impact factor journals including Nature Genetics (27.6), Molecular Cell (15.6), Cell Host Microbe (15.0), correspondences in Nature (38.6) and BMJ (19.7) and two books. To demonstrate the impact of these publications, he has an h-index of 63, and >13,000 citations in total (Google Scholar).
