The maternal microbiome and immune system have both independent and synergistic effects on fetal brain health - changes in the mother’s immune system have been linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. A new study, published today in Nature Neuroscience, expands our understanding of this “gut-immune axis” by mapping the impact of stressors during pregnancy – namely changes in the microbiome and activation of the immune system - on the neuroimmune landscape of the developing fetal brain.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that infant brain development during the first year of life is linked to families’ ability to meet everyday needs. Using brain activity recordings collected during routine pediatric visits, researchers found that infants whose caregivers reported significant financial hardship  showed differences in brain maturation over the first year of life. The findings highlight the potential importance of policies and supports that help families meet basic needs during this critical period of early brain development.

A new study from Northwestern University provides the first empirical data showing the direct role the gut microbiome plays in shaping differences in the way the brain functions across different primate species.

A new Special Report (https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf175) published in the journal BioScience warns that long-term ecological and evolutionary research faces severe threats from lack of recurring funding and governmental/institutional support, to data manipulation and political interference, even as these studies become more crucial for addressing issues of broad societal importance, such as biodiversity loss and climate change.