Neukom Fellow '23 Luisa Rivera with Mentors Zane Thayer & Brock Christensen recent works

In Scientific Reports, they examine how prenatal exposure to the genocide against the Tutsi is linked to epigenetic changes in young adults, offering new insights into the lasting effects of trauma.

A related study published in Epigenetics, Dr. Rivera's team, led by graduate student Irma Vlasac, breaks new ground by using menstrual effluent to study how trauma may influence the maternal-fetal interface. Their research demonstrates the feasibility of menstrual self-collection for epigenetic studies and uses advanced computational tools to analyze cellular composition.

These studies open new avenues for understanding the biological impact of life experiences across generations.

Publications:

Mitigating the Multigenerational Impacts of Trauma

DNA-based cell typing in menstrual effluent identifies cell type variation by sample collection method: toward noninvasive biomarker development for women's health

Prenatal exposure to genocide accelerates epigenetic aging as measured in second-generation clocks among young adults