Can we track long-term developmental effects of the early-life exposome?

The first 1000 days play an important role in determining lifelong trajectories in health or disease. In this project, the PhD student will classify and model neurodevelopmental trajectories to subsequently investigate how they depend on the pre- and early post-natal environment. We aim to predict the neurodevelopmental trajectory based on cord blood DNA methylation levels at birth. The project will use data from longitudinal study cohorts including parents and children.

The study will allow identifying the major psychosocial, social, socioeconomic and environmental factors driving differences in both neurodevelopmental trajectories and the neurodevelopmental epigenetic clock in children from birth to age 15.