Vortrag von Prof. Robert Kumsta "Biological Embedding of Experience – Investigation of gene expression profiles and DNA methylation in the context of stress and trauma"

Exposure to serious or traumatic life events in childhood is a well-established major risk factor for developing mental health problems in adulthood. These observations raised the question of how the long-lasting health consequences of early adverse rearing conditions are sustained, or biologically embedded. Recent research findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms might play an important role.

My talk will deal will the long-term psychological consequences of institutional deprivation experienced by Romanian children growing up in institutions of the Ceaușescu regime, and the associated changes in DNA methylation patterns and brain structure. Furthermore, I will present data on genome-wide mRNA and protein expression in the context of acute stress, showing that a history of childhood adversity is associated with altered gene expression profiles following stress exposure as well as altered expression of mitochondrial proteins. Finally, my talk will cover therapy-associated changes of DNA methylation patterns in PTSD in-patients.

The talk will be held in German.