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Professor Abby Fowden's research interests are in comparative developmental physiology with a particular emphasis on the endocrine mechanisms that control intrauterine development and the long-term postnatal consequences. Her long-term goal is to identify conditions in early life that program development and increase susceptibility to adult-onset degenerative diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Her research takes an integrated approach from systems and molecular levels, with direct applications in medicine, veterinary medicine, and the food industries focused on livestock. Research themes include feto-placental growth and metabolism, hormonal control of feto-placental maturation, and the postnatal consequences of intrauterine programming. In recent years, she has assessed the physiological consequences following altered intrauterine development, showing that environmentally induced changes in prenatal growth determine postnatal growth, fat deposition, and glucose metabolism, affecting the function of endocrine systems including the pancreas, pituitary, adrenal, and adipose tissue. Currently, she is examining the metabolic and behavioral consequences of maternal obesity and stress during pregnancy.
Department of Anthropology (Social Anthropology focus). Applicants must have full training in anthropological methods.