Seminar

Circadian system development and antenatal glucocorticoids

Mariana Astiz

Environmental factors early in life, impact on the development of the circadian system and determine its function in the long-term. Our research highlights the negative behavioral consequences of being exposed to glucocorticoids (GCs) at the wrong time of day during pregnancy, in mice and premature babies. We have found that the fetal clock controls the diurnal sensitivity to antenatal GCs during late gestation, being functional before initially thought.