Clinically Informed Epigenetic Research: Providing Insights into Health and Development of Children Born Preterm

Chair(s)

• 

  Todd Everson, PhD (he/him/his)

  Associate Professor
  Emory University
  Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• TO

  T. Michael O'Shea, MD, MPH (he/him/his)

  Professor of Pediatrics
  Pediatrics
  University of North Carolina at Chapel H
  University of North Carolina School of Medicine
  Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
• MC

  Marie Camerota, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor (Research)
  Psychiatry and Human Behavior
  The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
  Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Preterm birth poses unique challenges to infant health and development, with evidence suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms play a critical role in these outcomes. Understanding early-life epigenetic changes is essential for advancing neonatal care and improving outcomes for preterm infants. This symposium will discuss modern methods and applied studies of epigenetic alterations in this vulnerable population, highlighting key research findings from several preterm cohorts.

The symposium brings together experts in epidemiology, epigenomics, pediatrics, and neurodevelopment to discuss important advancements in pediatric epigenomic research. We will introduce methods that are being used to better understand the role of epigenetics in complex developmental processes and health outcomes among preterm infants. By focusing on clinically informed research, the symposium aims to offer insights into how these approaches are currently applied in human populations and their future clinical applications for individualized care strategies for preterm infants. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the field and future translational directions, ultimately contributing to the improvement of long-term health outcomes in preterm-born populations.

Presentation summaries are provided below:

Anke Huels will cover methods to study epigenetic mechanisms that underlie child health outcomes.
Michael Kobor will present opportunities offered by integrating epigenetic clocks into child development research.
T. Michael O’Shea will summarize associations between placenta epigenetic marks and outcomes in a multi-center cohort of individuals born extremely preterm.
Marie Camerota will discuss neonatal epigenetic patterns that are associated with health, behavior, and neurodevelopment in a multi-site study of infants born very preterm.

Presentations:

• 11:00am – 11:10am HST

  Introduction
  

  Speaker: Todd Everson, PhD (he/him/his) – Emory University
• 11:10am – 11:25am HST

  Methodological Advancements in the Field of Epigenetics: DNA Methylation Risk Scores and High-dimensional Mediation Analyses
  

  Speaker: Anke Huels, PhD, MSc (she/her/hers) – Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
• 11:25am – 11:40am HST

  Epigenetic Clocks in Childhood Development
  

  Speaker: Michael S. Kobor, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – University of British Columbia - Department of Medical Genetics
• 11:40am – 11:55am HST

  Perinatal Epigenetic Marks and Postnatal Outcomes in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn Cohort
  

  Speaker: Lauren A. Eaves, PhD IBCLC (she/her/hers) – UNC-Chapel Hill
• 11:55am – 12:20pm HST

  Neonatal Epigenetics, Health, and Neurodevelopment in the Neonatal Neurobehavior and Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants Cohort
  

  Speaker: Marie Camerota, PhD (she/her/hers) – The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
• 12:20pm – 12:30pm HST

  Q & A