Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address

Scientific poster competition winners are recognized and the keynote address will be presented.

Keynote Speaker:  Cheryl Lyn Walker, Ph.D.

Keynote Address:  Environmental Epigenomics: What the Epigenome can Teach us about Environmental Causes of Disease"

The epigenome is often described as the "software" that operates our genome.  This epigenome software is installed very early in life at key developmental windows in utero and during early childhood and adolescence.  Once installed, it is carried with us into adulthood and acts as a determinant of health and disease across the life-course.  Importantly, and in contrast to the DNA of our genome, the epigenome is quite plastic, and able to sense and change in response to the environment.  Consequently, adverse environmental exposures experienced early in life can reprogram the epigenome and increase susceptibility to many diseases in adulthood.  Dr. Walker's work on environmental epigenomics is providing new insights into how the environment molds the epigenome, and how developmental reprogramming induced by early life exposures can change normal physiology to increase risk for diseases such as obesity and cancer.