Date: Thursday 17 May 2018
Time: 1730 – 19.30
Where: Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre,
Edinburgh Napier University,
Craiglockhart Campus
219 Colinton Road
Edinburgh
EH14 1DJ
Reproductive biology encompasses the study of the most fundamental processes of life. We now acknowledge that the early life environment, and perhaps in particular the environment experienced as a developing fetus, impacts upon the rest of our lives. We are living and working longer, but capitalising on this means enjoying extended ‘healthspan’ as well as extended lifespan. Risks of developing many adult illnesses are modified as we develop in the womb, hence the environment we experience during fetal life needs to be ‘just right’. Understanding how the fetal environment colours development, and its legacy throughout our lives, will be the focus of this lecture. It will take the form of a personal look through some of the biology of this concept of ‘fetal programming’ that I have been directly involved with, alongside how I stumbled my way into an academic career, lessons learned, and what the future may hold.
