Impact of prenatal and postnatal stress on
offspring behaviour and epigenetic regulation of stress axis function in sheep
Summary: This
multi-disciplinary project will provide a unique training opportunity for a
motivated PhD student interested in combining behavioural, in vivo
physiological, and molecular biology techniques to address a research question
of crucial importance to the food security agenda. The project will be split
between Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh,
where the behavioural work will be conducted (with Prof Dwyer and Dr
Rutherford), and the University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, where
the molecular biology work will be conducted (with Prof Sinclair and Dr
Stevenson).
Background: Early
life events can ‘program’ offspring phenotypes related to health and disease.
There is growing interest in early life programming of behaviour and stress
reactivity from a farm animal welfare perspective. In sheep, early life insults
such as psychological stress during pregnancy or the neonatal period can affect
lamb behaviour and neuroendocrine function, with potential consequences for
development, growth, welfare and ultimately meat production. Evidence from
maternal undernutrition studies suggests that these effects might be mediated
by epigenetic regulation of the expression of genes in brain areas that control
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. The
first aim of the project is to test this hypothesis in a gestational stress
model in sheep. The second aim is to investigate if early postnatal challenges
have similar programming effects in the neonatal lamb. This will be tested by
(1) assessing whether variation in maternal care from the ewe affects lamb
development; and (2) investigating the impact of artificial rearing on
epigenetic and behavioural responses in lambs. These interventions in the
prenatal and postnatal environments are common occurrences in the production
environment, which have potential implications for enhancing the quality of
lamb production and are relevant models for biological and disease processes in
humans.
Start Date: 1 Oct
2013
Duration: 3.5
years (includes full stipend and fees)
Eligibility Requirements: Only UK or EU students resident in the UK with or expecting to
receive a first or upper second class degree (or equivalent) in a relevant life
sciences discipline.
Application Procedure: Applicants should send a cover letter, a detailed CV, and the names
and contact details of two referees by email to Dr Carl Stevenson (carl.stevenson@nottingham.ac.uk). Only applications sent by
email will be accepted.
Application Deadline: 5 Apr 2013