In recent years a new concept has emerged which posits that the prenatal environment is a major determinant of chronic disease in adult life. Studies published in the last few years have highlighted the link between epigenetic processes, nutrition of the mother during pregnancy, nutrition during early childhood and long-term illness. It has been shown, both in vivo and in vitro, that periconceptional development is sensitive to environmental conditions and that changes in this environment have striking effects on the embryo that can have long-term effects on postnatal health and physiology. My lab uses Drosophila, focusing on the female reproductive tract, as a model to study mechanisms that regulate female fertility and reproductive aging, with an emphasis on how they influence newborn and adult health.