The profound implications of neonatal stress on brain development are beginning to be appreciated, due in part to the research efforts of Claire-Dominique Walker, PhD. She was recruited by the Douglas Institute Research Centre in 1992 to:

• Investigate the consequences of early stress on brain development and the neuroendocrine responses to stress
   
• Examine how infant-related stimuli can modify the responses to stress in the mother, and participate in shaping the physiology and behavior of the infant. Physiological and behavioral responses to stress are controlled through connections between the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal gland – a system known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Claire-Dominique Walker, and her research team of technicians, graduate, and post-doctoral students, are examining the relationship between brain development, the condition of the HPA axis, and neonatal stressors such as repeated pain or changes in levels of leptin - a protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of body weight and obesity, and that is affected by maternal diet.

In collaboration with Celeste Johnston, PhD, at the School of Nursing (McGill), Claire-Dominique Walker is testing whether maternal comfort measures could reduce the effects of early repeated pain in preterm infants and young rat pups on stress responses, behavioral activity, and pain sensitivity. Since nursing can also alter maternal physiology, Claire-Dominique Walker is investigating how the infant, and emotional stimuli, related to the infants, can modulate stress responsiveness in humans and animals models.