January 13, 2016 — The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum hosts its third Food For Thought lecture, entitled “You Are What Your Grandmother Ate — Inherited Metabolic Effects of the In Utero Environment,” on Saturday, January 16, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the Museum’s Learning Centre.
Dr Mary-Ellen Harper, Professor of Biochemistry at the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology at the University of Ottawa, tells the story about biological traits that are passed to children and grandchildren through their parents’ and grandparents’ genes.
The pioneering work in the 1980s of physician and epidemiologist David Barker ushered in the new era of epigenetics — inherited traits that are not encoded in DNA. Recent research reveals the importance of epigenetics in health and disease, particularly in adult metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. This public lecture focuses on key discoveries emanating from the Dutch Hunger Winter, the Barker Hypothesis, and Mitochondrial Energetics.
This lecture series, presented in partnership with the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, is part of the Museum’s initiative to offer interesting, engaging, and fun food literacy programming for all ages.
The next lecture, entitled “Fatty Brain — The Impact of Lipids on Neurodegenerative Disease” take place Saturday, April 16, 2016.
Lecture is free with Museum admission.
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Contact:
Ciara Cronin
Communications Officer
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
ccronin@techno-science.ca
613-286-0552