DEVELOPMENT OF FOLDING IN THE FETAL CEREBRAL CORTEX – IDENTIFYING FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS AND THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISRUPTION IN NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PREGNANCY

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During pregnancy, the surface of the fetal brain gradually develops the ridges, valleys, and folds that are the characteristic feature of our highly developed brain. However, this process can be disturbed if birth occurs prematurely, the unborn baby suffers oxygen starvation in the uterus, or the mother consumes alcohol. In this project we are determining how cell migration results in the development of brain surface folding, and how hypoxia and maternal alcohol consumption affect these important processes.