Toronto. A research team has provided important insight into how childhood experiences affect our lives biologically. These experiences affect our health over the long term by changing the health of our genes and brain.
Dr. Michael Meaney, a renowned neuroscientist at McGill University in Canada, shared his discoveries on this topic during an interview in the journal “Genomic Psychiatry.” He explained what effect genes and environment have on brain health.
“I have always been interested in understanding how individual characteristics result in brain development and function,” said Dr. Michael. His work earned him prestigious honors such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the “Order of Canada”.
His research journey began with a simple question: “Why are people so different from each other?” This curiosity led him to new discoveries in the field of epigenetics. Epigenetics studies how environmental factors can affect the functioning of our genes without changing the DNA.
Dr. Meaney says, “We often quickly adopt those things and technologies that attract the general public and become big news. But these things do not accurately reflect the complex reality of brain health. ”
These discoveries raise an important question: Can we use this scientific knowledge to help children develop? What effect do early experiences have on children's tolerance?
This interview is part of a special series from “Genomic Press” that spotlights the people behind today's most influential scientific ideas. The series combines scientists' research and their personal views, giving readers a comprehensive view of stories related to science and human life.
The study's authors say this format is a great start to understanding the work of scientists and their broader human impact.
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Image Credit: KhasKhabar.