Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dates of Funding: 2022-2024
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology at CU-AMC. My research sits at the complex intersection of nutrition, neuroscience, and developmental biology. During pregnancy and early postnatal life, malnutrition can impair brain development, resulting in irreversible cognitive and psychiatric conditions. There is no question that adequate nutrition is vital for brain growth and maturation, but for many nutrients it remains unclear how deficiency alters neurodevelopmental programming at the cellular and molecular level. My NORC pilot project uses a zebrafish model to investigate the cellular consequences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 PUFA) deficiency during brain development. Omega-3 PUFA-deficient animals exhibit impaired immune responses by microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages. Microglia also regulate the formation and elimination of myelin, which insulates axons and increases the speed of nerve impulses. However, it is not known whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency culminates in the aberrant regulation of myelination. I will test this hypothesis by assessing whether omega-3 PUFA deficiency alters the microglial transcriptome (Aim 1), myelin maturation and morphology (Aim 2), and the dynamic microglia-myelin interactions in vivo (Aim 3). This work could provide insight into nutritional strategies for optimizing infant health and preventing neurodevelopmental disorders.