The Fragile Brain: How Environmental Factors Impact Neurodevelopment

Harvard FAS

Environmental factors acting during gestation—such as maternal exposure to pathogens or stress—can disturb the development of the mammalian brain, leading to profound changes in brain function. In this course, we will delve into the mechanism of three specific environmental insults and examine their impact on molecular and cellular functions in order to better understand how the brain is put together. We will first learn how the vulnerability of neural progenitor cells to infection by Zika…