Innovation Anthology #478:

Download MP3 Link

The way you respond to stress may actually be the result of how your great-grandmother responded to stress while in the womb.

For the past few years, Dr. Gerlinde Metz of the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge has been studying the role of stress in pre-term births.

The results of her animal studies indicate the effects of stress can transmit down through at least five generations.

DR GERLINDE METZ: We could call this phenomenon perinatal programming or imprinting of the physiological system .that mediates the effects of stress. So that the response to stress in the environment is modified if someone is pre-exposed to stress in the womb or in previous generations. And this will change the function of the stress response and how severe the stress response is occurring when there’s an adverse event happening, like a famine or some psychological stress because there’s an exam or there’s a fight with a neighbour or something like that.

Dr. Metz hopes future research will reveal the molecular pathways that determine the genetic or trans-generational response to stress.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Guest

,

, , , ,

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

 

 

Program Date: 2012-06-07