Epigenetics

Michael Kobor, associate professor in UBC’s department of medical genetics and a scientist at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, explains how the environment affects our genes on a segment about epigenetics on Roundhouse Radio.

“Our research program is focused on this idea that’s gained a lot of traction in the last few years that early life environments and even back to pregnancy might affect our health and our behaviours later in life,” said Kobor. “Diverse social environments like poverty and family environments can literally get under your skin and chemically modify your DNA and that leads to changes in its expression.”