When a person experiences an injury or infection, the body’s immune system responds with inflammation to start the healing process. However, inflammation can occur in much less helpful circumstances – for example, when a person experiences psychological stress or consistently eats a poor diet high in sugars, fats and processed foods. When such inflammation occurs during pregnancy, it increases the risk of problems for the baby, particularly for neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD, autism and learning disabilities. A University of Oklahoma researcher has earned a new grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to explore how that risk occurs and whether there is a means of helping the fetus become more resilient to inflammation.