Rosie Brown Laboratory

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

• Postpartum depression
• Postpartum anxiety
• Maternal obesity
  

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

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Publications