The IGF axis & reproductive investment

The IGF axis is a central regulator of growth and metabolism throughout the life course that is influenced by chronic energy status. Maternal and fetal hormones compete for control of the IGF axis during pregnancy, but maternal strategies for inhibiting offspring growth are poorly understood from both a theoretical and mechanistic basis.

My graduate research explored the maternal IGF axis as a potential pathway linking a mother's early nutritional and energetic status with later energy allocation to offspring development using custom assays of free IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in dried blood spots.