We are working to understand how our lifestyle choices influence the long-term regulation of our genome and, ultimately, brain health.

With the onset of the “omics” trend in research, many studies have been done to investigate the impact of substances on epigenetic patterns. However, few studies compare these data sets to look at overlapping loci of vulnerability within the genome. Using a combination of wet lab work and available data deposited from other researchers, we compare between common substances of abuse in order to determine potentially environmentally sensitive epimutations.

Want to learn more about epigenetics?

Your DNA is the unique combination of genetic information that your parents passed on to you and it is what makes you who you are, but it's not the ONLY thing that makes you uniquely you. The events and experiences that you have are stored with the DNA by a mechanism called epigenetics which impacts expression of genes - “instructions” are turned on or off. Experiences such as diet, exercise, and drug exposure throughout an individual’s life can impact how their brain develops, ages, and responds to future events.

Here are some resources to learn more about how your environment & biology work together throughout a lifetime and extending into future generations. And stay tuned for more!