SUCCESSFUL REPRODUCTION IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF LIVESTOCK FARMERS. IN SITUATIONS WHERE ACCESS TO NUTRIENTS MAY BE INADEQUATE OR DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN, REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY CAN SUFFER. FOR EXAMPLE, UNDERNUTRITION CAN LEAD TO DELAYED PUBERTY ONSET, REDUCED OVULATION RATES, AND LATE RETURN TO ESTRUS FOLLOWING PREGNANCY IN FEMALE LIVESTOCK. REPRODUCTION CAN BE CONTROLLED AT THE LEVEL OF THE BRAIN AND IN THE SAME REGION WHERE SIGNALS FOR NUTRIENT BALANCE ARE RECEIVED, THEREBY MAKING THIS AN IMPORTANT AREA FOR EXPLORATION TO DETERMINE HOW ENERGY BALANCE ULTIMATELY REGULATES REPRODUCTION. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST UNDERNUTRITION MAY ELICIT INFLAMMATION WITHIN THE BRAIN. BY INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN THE BRAIN AS A RESULT OF UNDERNUTRITION IN YOUNG SHEEP, I EXPECT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNDERNUTRITION AND CENTRAL INFLAMMATION AS MEANS TO UNDERSTAND HOW UNDERNUTRITION CAN SUPPRESS REPRODUCTION.