McNair Scholar 2019 Samantha B. Gardow
Samantha B. Gardow is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience and Child Psychology. Her current research interests include the underlying mechanisms linking in utero experiences to fetal development and later life outcomes, as well as potential pathways of risk and resilience. Samantha plans to pursue a PhD in Developmental or Clinical Child Psychology.
My dream is to earn an academic position and establish a research program that not only serves the communities that it studies but cultivates and inspires new generations of researchers. My hope is that my work on the mechanisms of risk and resilience will be a catalyst of change in how we advocate for pregnant women and their developing children.
Research project
Maternal Macronutrients Across Pregnancy: Impacts on Fetal Growth Trajectories
Abstract: Emerging evidence suggests that experiences and exposures during fetal development have the potential to alter development throughout the lifespan. Prenatal maternal nutrition is proposed as one mechanism of fetal programming. The current study had two aims: 1) to characterize patterns of fetal growth over gestation and 2) to examine associations between prenatal maternal macronutrients and fetal growth trajectories. A mixed-effects model including a quadratic effect of gestational age best fit fetal growth trajectories. Due to power limitations, three separate mixed-effects models with a linear effect of time were fit to examine maternal intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and sugars as predictors of fetal growth trajectories. Results indicated that higher prenatal maternal sugar intake was associated with a slower rate of fetal growth. This effect persisted after adjusting for maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, fetal sex and household income. These findings provide novel information about trajectories of fetal growth and suggest that maternal nutrition, specifically sugar intake, may be predictive of fetal growth. Further research should examine maternal nutrition as a potential mechanism of fetal programming.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Megan R. Gunnar is the Developmental Psychology Department Chair, the Director of the Institute of Child Development, a Regents Professor and a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. After graduating from Mills College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, she received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Stanford University. Dr. Gunnar presents her research at national and international conferences and is the 2019/2020 president of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology. Dr. Gunnar is internationally recognized as a leader in stress neurobiology and development research.