B4445 - Sex differences in the longitudinal impact of birth weight phenotype-genotype mismatch in behaviour - 28/05/2024

B number: 
B4445
Principal applicant name: 
Craig Pennell | University of Newcastle (Australia)
Co-applicants: 
Ms Carol Wang, Dr
Title of project: 
Sex differences in the longitudinal impact of birth weight phenotype-genotype mismatch in behaviour
Proposal summary: 

Fetal growth and biological sex are thought to affect behaviour in childhood and adolescence. Fetal growth is often estimated with birthweight, however, birthweight can vary both as a consequence of genetic and environmental factors and furthermore a large literature has suggested that the effects of fetal growth may differ between males and females. We want to test how measured birthweight and birthweight-genetics influence lasting behaviour in males and females and if a mismatch between an individuals potential for birthweight - i.e. their genetically determined birthweight - and their actual birthweight, produces lasting behavioral changes throughout their childhood and adolescence. Finally, we will test if the effects of such a mismatch differs between males and females.

Impact of research: 
If our initial findings are reproduced it will do two things: 1) It will cement that sex-differences in psychiatry stem from (among other things) early life programming in line with the theories of fast/slow life history. 2) It will demonstrate in an unbiased fashion that a crude focus on birthweight is to simplistic, but rather needs to account for the varying determinants of birthweight (genetic and environmental) and that deviations from the genetic birthweight potential at both the high and low end of the birthweight spectrum determines mental health in childhood and adolescence.
Date proposal received: 
Monday, 27 May, 2024
Date proposal approved: 
Tuesday, 28 May, 2024
Keywords: 
Developmental biology, Behaviour - e.g. antisocial behaviour, risk behaviour, etc., Computer simulations/modelling/algorithms, Genetic epidemiology, Sex differences