Dissertation defence (Psychiatry): FM Aylin Rosberg
FM Aylin Rosberg defends the dissertation in Psychiatry titled “Maternal prepregnancy body mass index and neonatal brain: Findings from FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study” at the University of Turku on 21 November 2025 at 12.00 (University of Turku, Arcanum, Aava lecture hall, Arcanuminkuja 1, Turku).
The audience can participate in the defence by remote access: https://echo360.org.uk/section/a9a2ba1f-69d1-478c-8bc4-f541fae3c26f/public
Opponent: Professor Annette Horstmann (University of Helsinki)
Custos: Docent Jetro J. Tuulari (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0419-8
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Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
My dissertation examines how a mother’s health before pregnancy may relate to her baby’s early brain development. I focused especially on maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Early brain development is a sensitive process, and even small influences during pregnancy may shape how the brain matures.
This work also improves how newborn brain MRI can be analyzed. In the first part of the dissertation, we developed the FinnBrain Neonate (FBN-125) MRI template and atlas collection. These tools provide standardized reference models of the newborn brain, making it easier for researchers to compare results across studies and to examine brain regions with greater accuracy.
In the following studies, we used these tools to investigate how maternal pre-pregnancy BMI relates to the microstructure of different brain regions, measured with mean diffusivity (MD), a diffusion MRI marker of how densely brain tissue is organized. Across three independent samples, higher maternal BMI was consistently associated with higher MD in specific regions: the caudate nucleus, the hippocampus, and a part of the corpus callosum. Higher MD in newborns may indicate slightly slower microstructural maturation in these areas.
These findings do not determine any child’s future. Brain development continues rapidly after birth, and experiences, caregiving, and environment play major roles in shaping it.
This research provides new tools for neonatal brain imaging and highlights the importance of maternal health before pregnancy. It also opens the door to future work investigating the biological pathways involved and whether these early differences relate to later growth, development, and well-being.
The audience can participate in the defence by remote access: https://echo360.org.uk/section/a9a2ba1f-69d1-478c-8bc4-f541fae3c26f/public
Opponent: Professor Annette Horstmann (University of Helsinki)
Custos: Docent Jetro J. Tuulari (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0419-8
***
Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
My dissertation examines how a mother’s health before pregnancy may relate to her baby’s early brain development. I focused especially on maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Early brain development is a sensitive process, and even small influences during pregnancy may shape how the brain matures.
This work also improves how newborn brain MRI can be analyzed. In the first part of the dissertation, we developed the FinnBrain Neonate (FBN-125) MRI template and atlas collection. These tools provide standardized reference models of the newborn brain, making it easier for researchers to compare results across studies and to examine brain regions with greater accuracy.
In the following studies, we used these tools to investigate how maternal pre-pregnancy BMI relates to the microstructure of different brain regions, measured with mean diffusivity (MD), a diffusion MRI marker of how densely brain tissue is organized. Across three independent samples, higher maternal BMI was consistently associated with higher MD in specific regions: the caudate nucleus, the hippocampus, and a part of the corpus callosum. Higher MD in newborns may indicate slightly slower microstructural maturation in these areas.
These findings do not determine any child’s future. Brain development continues rapidly after birth, and experiences, caregiving, and environment play major roles in shaping it.
This research provides new tools for neonatal brain imaging and highlights the importance of maternal health before pregnancy. It also opens the door to future work investigating the biological pathways involved and whether these early differences relate to later growth, development, and well-being.
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