Tamara Bodnar

Dr. Tamara Bodnar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Science, and a Child Health & Wellness Researcher at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute's Owerko Centre. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia (2016), alongside a BSc in Cell Biology & Genetics and a BA in French, both from UBC (2009).

Her research focuses on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, investigating how early environmental factors influence lifelong health outcomes. Key areas include the gut-brain-immune axis, brain development, immune function, and neurodegenerative processes. Using translational approaches, she combines animal models with clinical studies to explore social determinants of health, extending from early life through adulthood. As an Indigenous scholar, she prioritizes community partnerships to address health disparities in Indigenous populations.

Her work aligns with University of Calgary strategic initiatives in Brain and Mental Health, Child Health and Wellness, and Infections, Inflammation, and Chronic Diseases. Her publications emphasize prenatal alcohol exposure's effects on immune systems, microbiota, and epigenetic profiles, with recent studies exploring choline supplementation and pandemic impacts on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) populations.

Dr. Bodnar's research bridges basic science and clinical applications, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and culturally responsive methodologies. She has no listed scientific awards but is actively engaged in advancing translational research to improve child and maternal health outcomes.