Nutrition and the Developing Brain

Nutrients play a significant role in brain development throughout fetal and postnatal life. This book reviews the evidence from animal and human research, highlighting the influence of specific nutrients on brain function and cognitive development. With a unique, integrative approach to the nutritional, environmental, and genetic influences on brain development, the book examines issues such as single versus multiple limiting nutrients, critical periods of deficiency, and the impact of the child-parent relationship on the architecture of the developing brain.

The effect of undernutrition on the developing brain of infants and young children can be devastating and enduring. It can impede behavioural and cognitive development and educability, thereby undermining future work productivity. Chapter authors are experts in this field of research and provide an up-to-date insight into the role of the individual nutrients in brain development and function.

Dr Nicola Lowe is a Professor of Nutritional Science at the University of Central Lancashire and Co-Director of the International Institute of Nutritional Sciences and Food Safety Studies (iINSAFSs). After graduating from the University of Liverpool with a PhD in trace mineral metabolism, Nicola spent four years as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley where she conducted research examining the homeostatic response to dietary zinc depletion. Nicola joined UCLan as a Senior Lecturer in 2000. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Nicola’s primary area of research is micronutrient metabolism with a particular focus on Zinc. She has worked on European Union (EU Framework 6), NHS, National Institutes for Health (USA), US Department of Agriculture, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Wellcome Trust funded projects. She is currently involved in projects in Europe, USA, Peru and Pakistan. Nicola is author of over fifty peer reviewed publications. She is a member of the editorial board for the International Scholarly Resarch Network journal, Nutrition, and is a member of the international Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) panel and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Nicola is also the Research Director and a trustee for the Abaseen Foundation. This Lancashire based charity is working alongside community members in rural villages in North West Pakistan, to improve education, nutritional status and health care provision.