Research interests
I am interested in how the changing hormones of pregnancy and lactation act on neural circuitry in the maternal brain to influence behaviour. In particular, I focus on maternal behaviour, a complex set of behaviours displayed by a mother that promote the survival and wellbeing of her offspring. Our work aims to understand how hormones normally act to direct a mother's behaviour and how these processes may become disrupted.
At the Centre for Neuroendocrinology, I use transgenic mouse models to address the impact of specific neuroendocrine disruptions on maternal behaviour using behavioural assays. We investigate hormonal actions on neural circuitry underlying parental behaviour using a range of molecular, immunohistochemical and imaging approaches.
I am also interested in how changes in the ability of hormones to access the brain in different physiological or pathological states might underlie changes in hormone function.
Clinical conditions
Rosie Brown Laboratory staff & students
Isaiah Cheong, Assistant Research Fellow
Neuroendocrine regulation of maternal behaviour
Email isaiah.cheong@otago.ac.nz
Jenny Clarkson, Research Fellow
Neural circuits required for maternal adaptation to pregnancy
Email jenny.clarkson@otago.ac.nz
Jamie McQuillan, Postdoctoral Fellow
Email jamie.mcquillan@otago.ac.nz
Tapasya Pal, Postdoctoral Fellow
Email tapasya.pal@otago.ac.nz
Michael Perkinson, Postdoctoral Fellow
Email michael.perkinson@otago.ac.nz
Alice Biggs, B Biomed Sci student
Matthew Adye, B Biomed Sci student
Visit Our people for an alphabetical list of all Centre for Neuroendocrinology staff.
Publications
Principal Investigator
Dr Rosie Brown
- Email rosemary.brown@otago.ac.nz
- Department of Physiology website
- Tel 64 3 479 8207
- Fax 64 3 479 7323