1. How can diet during pregnancy influence disease later in life?
I’ve heard of genetics but what is epigenetics ?
How does epigenetics cause disease?
How are identical twins different?
What role does epigenetics play in diabetes, mental health and cancer?
Nature or Nurture: Epigenetics links
your genes with the environment
Public Lecture
with international guest: Professor Peter Jones PhD DSc
“How the exploding science of epigenetics will transform our
understanding of health and disease and Australia’s participation in it”
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
6:00-7:30pm Tuesday 7 February 2012
Drinks and canapes will precede the presentation
Medical research has come a long way since sequencing of the human
genome and we now have a deep understanding of genetics and why faults
in certain genes can cause specific diseases.
But, not all diseases are due to simple gene faults and epigenetics can help
explain why.
Epigenetics is the master controller of the organisation of our genome,
governing context-dependent packaging of our DNA and gene activity. This
occurs by chemical modifications to the DNA and to the proteins around
which it is packed.
These epigenetic modifications not only guide normal growth and
development but also influence and reflect how our genes interract with
the environment, often with long-term effects on our health and wellbeing.
Epigenetic controls can also malfunction and these underpin many complex
diseases including neurological diseases, cancer and diabetes. Moreover,
changes to a person’s epigenetics can be passed on to future generations
which means a mother’s diet during pregnancy can influence her child’s
chance of developing certain diseases later in life.
Epigenetics is also important in learning and memory, something we are
only just beginning to understand.
RSVP: a.giles@garvan.org.au or phone +61 2 9295 8110 by Wednesday 1 February 2012
Garvan Institute of Medical Research - 384 Victoria Street Darlinghurst - www.garvan.org.au
Peter Jones’ Public Lecture is sponsored by the Australian Academy of Science, Rudi Lemberg Travel Fellowship