Welcome to the Prenatal Environment And Child Health (PEACH) Laboratory

The overarching research goal of the laboratory is to understand the influence of early environmental factors such as maternal nutrition, stress, and mental health during gestation on offspring neurobehavioral regulation. The primary focus is the identification of early environmental risk and protective factors for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression in order to inform the design of prevention strategies and early interventions. One specific focus is the impact of exposure to maternal obesity and poor nutrition during the perinatal period on the behavior, and physiology of the developing offspring.

Our specific aims include:

  1. Examining the impact of maternal obesity and poor antenatal nutrition on offspring behavior and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
  2. Understanding developmental origins and early detection of ADHD and dysregulatory psychopathology.
  3. Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of pregnant and postpartum individuals and their children.

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