The focus of the Gregg lab is to understand how early life nutrient stressors can program offspring risk for obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. We use both animal models and a human mother-infant cohort to understand the molecular events that set the stage for lifelong metabolic health. Our previous work helped establish the importance of early life for pancreatic beta-cell expansion. We are now studying the impact of nutrient stressors during the lactation period on the function of key tissues responsible for a coordinated response to glucose: the pancreatic islets, adipose tissue, and the liver. We also study the impact of maternal metabolic disease on lactation physiology.