Ezra Susser, MD, Dr PH, Director; Jennie Kline, PhD
The Imprints Center for Genetic and Environmental Lifecourse Studies brings together investigators working in birth cohort research programs. Imprints Center investigators focus especially, but not exclusively, on the ways in which exposures in utero – such as prenatal exposures to infections, nutritional deficiencies and toxins – influence health later in the lifecourse, including the interplay with genes and epigenetic effects. They are examining a range of health outcomes, derived from studies in China, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, Norway, Finland, Kosovo, the United Kingdom, and the US. More recently, Imprints investigators are engaged in intergenerational studies and a lifecourse approach to aging. Details about these studies can be found on the website http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/imprints/.
The Imprints Center provides a valuable setting for intellectual exchange, supporting methodologic strategies, identifying new research opportunities, and training interested colleagues and students. One of the vehicles for accomplishing these goals is our series of educational seminars and workshops. The Imprints Center also provides essential feedback and support for its investigators in areas such as preparation of grant applications, strategies for multi-site study data coordination and management, and development of innovative methods for analysis in pertinent areas, such as growth trajectories and modeling.