What is DNA methylation and how can it help us address ECHO scientific priorities and improve child health?
Key Takeaways: DNA methylation is a molecular modification of DNA that is instrumental in regulating several essential cellular functions. For example, it provides a mechanism for cellular differentiation during fetal development, it controls gene expression, and it silences one X-chromosome in females, among other functions. Alterations in DNA methylation have been associated with a wide range of health outcomes in adults and children and have also been associated with environmental exposures. Thus, it may provide a biologic mechanism for some environmental effects on child health. In addition to providing potential biologic/mechanistic insights, there is evidence that it could serve as a useful biomarker of exposures and/or health outcomes. This presentation will provide a brief introduction to DNA methylation, a framework for how it can be examined in ECHO to address scientific priorities, highlight a few exemplar findings in ECHO to date, and summarize opportunities and challenges for future studies.
Dr. Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Ladd-Acosta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a joint appointment in mental health. Her research focuses on developing and applying epigenomic and genomic epidemiology approaches to improve health, with a particular concentration on child and neurodevelopmental health outcomes. Her findings have been recognized with a “best original article” award by Environmental Research and results reported in multiple publications have been declared as top 20 advances in autism research by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).