My lab is interested in how the ovarian hormones, estradiol and progesterone, act in the brain to regulate gene expression and behavior in rodents. Our work focuses on how receptors for these hormones interact with coregulators to activate behaviorally-relevant genes in specific brain regions. More recently, we have taken a proteomics-based approach to investigate which proteins from the brain interact with estrogen and progestin receptors. One goal of our research is to use mass spectrometry to identify novel proteins that function in hormone action in the brain and other steroid-sensitive tissues. Much of our work involves collaborations with colleagues at Wellesley and others in the United States and abroad. By enhancing our knowledge of basic hormone mechanisms, we may better understand how hormones impact diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.

I teach at all levels in the Neuroscience Program. In Introduction to Neuroscience, neuroscience majors and non-science majors study the brain from the molecular level to behavior. Our topics range from how neurons produce electrical signals to learning and memory in humans. In addition, we investigate a number of disorders of the nervous system, including depression, anxiety, and Parkinson’s disease. In Neuroendocrinology 315, we explore how hormones act in the brain to regulate gene expression and behavior. We discuss how the major neuroendocrine axes regulate a variety of functions, including sexual differentiation of the brain, stress, and reproductive physiology and behavior.

I enjoy going out for sushi, biking, hiking, and camping with my family.

Society for Neuroscience

The Endocrine Society