If a mum experiences stress during pregnancy, it can be harmful to the unborn baby. When the baby reaches adulthood there is an increased chance of them developing certain diseases (such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes) and mental health disorders (e.g. anxiety and depression). My group are investigating how this happens and how it can be prevented or reversed. A baby’s brain develops during pregnancy and continues to develop after birth. We study the effects that stressful events during pregnancy have on how the offspring’s brain develops and the consequences of stress to the mother for the future health of the offspring.