Doctoral Dissertation Research: Intergenerational Consequences of Interpersonal Violence: The Role of Fetal Programming

产前压力的代际后果及其对胎儿发育的影响越来越引起生物人类学家的兴趣。然而，母亲的经验传递给后代的机制知之甚少，迄今为止，大多数研究都集中在高收入环境中的亚临床疾病。本博士论文项目是研究妇女及其发育中的后代遭受人际暴力的代际后果。在许多地方，人际暴力仍然是一个重大的社会问题，虽然许多研究已经审查了对整个生命过程中的健康和福祉的后果，但持久的代际影响仍然没有得到充分的调查。这项研究的结果将有助于我们了解使暴力对下一代的有害健康后果永久化的生物机制。该项目将支持研究生培训和指导，国际研究合作，K-12科学推广活动，并为孕产妇和儿童健康的公共卫生和临床研究提供信息。本研究的主要目标是调查人际暴力的生物学机制，通过这种机制，不仅影响孕产妇的生物学，而且影响胎儿和婴儿的发育。具体来说，我们将研究是否母亲暴露于人际暴力和心理社会压力影响后代的压力调节，神经发育和DNA甲基化模式，在巴西的妇女和他们的婴儿。我们预测，母亲暴露于暴力将与增加头发皮质醇浓度在怀孕期间，并在一岁的婴儿，改变DNA甲基化模式和失调的昼夜皮质醇模式。研究人员还将采取一种机械的方法，研究DNA甲基化对婴儿昼夜皮质醇节律的介导作用。这项研究通过关注生命早期发生的甲基化和激素变化，以及关注背景突出的压力源，人际暴力来推进知识。

The intergenerational consequences of prenatal stress and its impact on fetal development are of growing interest to biological anthropologists. However, the mechanisms by which maternal experiences are transmitted to their offspring are poorly understood, and most studies to date have focused on subclinical disorders in high-income settings. This doctoral dissertation project is a study of the intergenerational consequences of exposure to interpersonal violence among women and their developing offspring. Interpersonal violence remains a significant societal issue in many locations, and while many studies have examined the consequences for health and well-being across the life course, the enduring intergenerational effects remain under-investigated. Findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms that perpetuate the deleterious health consequences of violence to the next generation. This project will support graduate student training and mentoring, international research collaborations, K-12 science outreach activities, and inform public health and clinical research for maternal and child health.The primary objective of this study is to investigate the biological mechanisms through which exposure to interpersonal violence impacts not only maternal biology but also fetal and infant development. Specifically, we will examine whether maternal exposure to interpersonal violence and psychosocial stressors impact offspring stress regulation, neurodevelopment, and DNA methylation patterns, in women and their infants in Brazil. We predict that maternal exposure to violence will be associated with increased hair cortisol concentrations during pregnancy, and for infants at one year of age, altered DNA methylation patterns and dysregulated diurnal cortisol patterns. The investigators will also take a mechanistic approach by investigating the mediating role of DNA methylation on infant diurnal cortisol rhythms. This study advances knowledge by focusing on methylation and hormonal changes occurring early in life, and by focusing on a contextually salient stressor, interpersonal violence.