Temple psychologist Lauren Ellman discussed her research exploring the relationship between maternal conditions in pregnancy and the risk of schizophrenia among offspring. "It is now clear that maternal psychological and biological information is communicated to the fetus…and can greatly influence subsequent development," Ellman said. "Some of our most intriguing results have shown that maternal infections, such as influenza, during pregnancy and immune responses to infection are associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia."