A lifecourse approach to investigating developmental plasticity

I am investigating how hyenas’ social experiences, particularly those occurring early in life, have lasting effects on future phenotypes, DNA methylation, and patterns of aging. Such early-life experiences include maternal social rank, amount of maternal care, and both positive and negative interactions with group mates. Here, I test hypotheses to understand how (e.g., the developmental and mechanistic processes) different types and timings of social experiences ‘get under the skin’ to affect future phenotypes and aging. Given that having high-quality social relationships is a powerful predictor of living a long and healthy life in many species including our own, I also ask similar questions about the role of socioeconomic status and social experiences on patterns of DNA methylation and aging in humans. The significance of this collection of work lies in an unprecedented opportunity to establish a new animal model of aging wherein a persistent social ranking system in spotted hyenas mirrors structurally embedded social hierarchies in humans.