Fetal development is perhaps the most critical period during which the early growth/intellectual potential and long-term health risks of an individual are established. These outcomes are the product of the interactions among maternal exposures and diet, the combined maternal and paternal genetic contributions to the fetus and modifications to the structure of the genome, or epigenetics. Dr. Adkins’ research is focused on gestational and early developmental outcomes. In particular, he is conducting genome-wide studies of variation in the DNA sequence (SNPs) and epigenetics (DNA methylation, histone modifications) of mothers, fathers and newborns and their impact on gene activity, fetal growth, and early child development. His laboratory is also examining the connection between a woman’s diet during pregnancy and the pattern of epigenetic modifications in her newborn. Impaired fetal growth is second only to prematurity as a cause of mortality among newborns. Additionally, the combination of DNA sequence variants and epigenetic marks present in a person at birth are major sources of increased risk of intellectual impairment, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Two exciting possibilities from Dr. Adkins’ research are the ability to identify at birth those diseases or developmental impairments to which a person is at increased risk, and even more importantly, the possibility of reducing those risks through designed modifications to the mother’s diet during pregnancy.