Sloboda Lab

We study the developmental origins of health and disease -how the early life environment influences fetal adaptations that control health and disease risk.

Events occurring before birth influence weight gain, deposition of body fat and metabolic function during childhood and beyond. The increase in childhood obesity in recent decades has been more rapid than can be explained purely by genetic susceptibility or diet. Both poor maternal nutrition and prenatal stress have long-term effects on offspring growth and development and increase risk of disease  ...