Elena Loche

Supervisor: Prof Susan Ozanne

Title: Molecular mechanisms underlying the programming of cardiovascular disease by maternal diet-induced obesity

Abstract: The environment met by the fetus during critical periods of life (in utero and early post-natal) can impact its long term health. In particular, a suboptimal maternal diet during pregnancy can increase the offspring risk of developing cardiovascular disease in adult life. Previous studies in the Ozanne laboratory using a well established mouse model have demonstrated that maternal diet-induced obesity programs cardiac remodelling in the offspring; however, the effects of a combined exposure to maternal and post-natal high-calorie diet on the offspring cardiovascular health are poorly established. We aim to identify new molecular mechanisms underlying these effects, focusing our attention on epigenetic mechanisms.

Conference proceeding

• 2017 HFA, Paris - poster
• 2017 HFWR, Les Diableretes – poster selected for Young Investigator Award
• 2016 BHF Cardiovascular Early Careers Event, Cambridge (UK) – talk prize
• 2016 Annual BHF Student Meeting, Glasgow (UK) – talk
• 2015 Annual BHF Student Meeting, Cambridge (UK) – poster
• 2015  IMS Student Symposium, Cambridge (UK) – talk
• 2015 IUBMB/Sbbq, Foz do Iguacu (Brazil) – poster prize
• 2014 Frontiers in Metabolism, EMBO Symposium, Heidelberg (Germany) – poster
• 2014 Annual BHF Student Meeting, Manchester (UK) – poster
• 2013 IMS Student Symposium, Cambridge (UK) – poster prize
• 2012 Epigenetic mechanisms in development and disease 2012, Leeds, UK - poster