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Dr Rosie Brown

Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 8207
Email
rosemary.brown@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Department of Physiology
Qualifications
BSc(Hons) PhD
Research summary
Neuroendocrinology

Research

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. 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.

Additional details

Major techniques used in our group:

  • Use of transgenic mouse and viral technology to study how hormones acting in the brain alter behaviour
  • Molecular biology to examine transcriptional changes in neurons during behaviour and In different reproductive states
  • Tacking the movement of labelled hormones from the blood into the brain
  • Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation to map hormone responsive neurons in the brain

Publications

Brown, R. S. E., Jacobs, I. M., Khant Aung, Z., Knowles, P. J., Grattan, D. R., & Ladyman, S. R. (2023). High fat diet-induced maternal obesity in mice impairs peripartum maternal behaviour. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13350

Smiley, K. O., Phillipps, H. R., Fang, C., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Mating-induced prolactin surge is not required for subsequent neurogenesis in male mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 17, 1227726. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1227726

Hackwell, E. C. R., Ladyman, S. R., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Mechanisms of lactation-induced infertility in female mice. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad049

Swart, J. M., Grattan, D. R., Ladyman, S. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2022). Pups and prolactin are rewarding to virgin female and pregnant mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, e13232. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13232

Khant Aung, Z., Masih, R. R., Desroziers, E., Campbell, R. E., & Brown, R. S. E. (2022). Enhanced pup retrieval behaviour in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 34, e13206. doi: 10.1111/jne.13206

Smiley, K. O., Ladyman, S. R., Gustafson, P., Grattan, D. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2019). Neuroendocrinology and adaptive physiology of maternal care. In L. M. Coolen & D. R. Grattan (Eds.), Neuroendocrine regulation of behavior: Current topics in behavioral neurosciences (Vol. 43). (pp. 161-210). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/7854_2019_122

Chapter in Book - Research

Brown, R. S. E., Jacobs, I. M., Khant Aung, Z., Knowles, P. J., Grattan, D. R., & Ladyman, S. R. (2023). High fat diet-induced maternal obesity in mice impairs peripartum maternal behaviour. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13350

Journal - Research Article

Hackwell, E. C. R., Ladyman, S. R., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Mechanisms of lactation-induced infertility in female mice. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad049

Journal - Research Article

Smiley, K. O., Phillipps, H. R., Fang, C., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2023). Mating-induced prolactin surge is not required for subsequent neurogenesis in male mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 17, 1227726. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1227726

Journal - Research Article

Georgescu, T., Khant Aung, Z., Grattan, D. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2022). Prolactin-mediated restraint of maternal aggression in lactation. PNAS, 119(6), e2116972119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2116972119

Journal - Research Article

Khant Aung, Z., Masih, R. R., Desroziers, E., Campbell, R. E., & Brown, R. S. E. (2022). Enhanced pup retrieval behaviour in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 34, e13206. doi: 10.1111/jne.13206

Journal - Research Article

Smiley, K. O., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2022). Prolactin action is necessary for parental behavior in male mice. Journal of Neuroscience. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.0558-22.2022

Journal - Research Article

Swart, J. M., Grattan, D. R., Ladyman, S. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2022). Pups and prolactin are rewarding to virgin female and pregnant mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, e13232. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13232

Journal - Research Article

Swart, J. M., Grattan, D. R., Ladyman, S. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2021). Changes in maternal motivation across reproductive states in mice: A role for prolactin receptor activation on GABA neurons. Hormones & Behavior, 135, 105041. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105041

Journal - Research Article

Barad, Z., Khant Aung, Z., Grattan, D. R., Ladyman, S. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2020). Impaired prolactin transport into the brain and functional responses to prolactin in aged male mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32, e12889. doi: 10.1111/jne.12889

Journal - Research Article

Georgescu, T., Ladyman, S. R., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2020). Acute effects of prolactin on hypothalamic prolactin receptor expressing neurones in the mouse. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32, e12908. doi: 10.1111/jne.12908

Journal - Research Article

Gustafson, P., Ladyman, S. R., McFadden, S., Larsen, C., Khant Aung, Z., Brown, R. S. E., Bunn, S. J., & Grattan, D. R. (2020). Prolactin receptor-mediated activation of pSTAT5 in the pregnant mouse brain. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32, e12901. doi: 10.1111/jne.12901

Journal - Research Article

Stagkourakis, S., Smiley, K. O., Williams, P., Kakadellis, S., Ziegler, K., Bakker, J., Brown, R. S. E., … Grattan, D. R., & Broberger, C. (2020). A neuro-hormonal circuit for paternal behavior controlled by a hypothalamic network oscillation. Cell, 182, 960-975. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.007

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Khant Aung, Z., Phillipps, H. R., Barad, Z., Lein, H.-J., Boehm, U., Szawka, R. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2019). Acute suppression of LH secretion by prolactin in female mice is mediated by kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus. Endocrinology, 160(5), 1323-1332. doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00038

Journal - Research Article

Gustafson, P., Ladyman, S. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2019). Suppression of leptin transport into the brain contributes to leptin resistance during pregnancy in the mouse. Endocrinology, 160(4), 880-890. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-01065

Journal - Research Article

Phillipps, H. R., Rand, C. J., Brown, R. S. E., Kokay, I. C., Stanton, J.-A., & Grattan, D. R. (2019). Prolactin regulation of insulin-like growth factor 2 gene expression in the adult mouse choroid plexus. FASEB Journal, 33, 6115-6128. doi: 10.1096/fj.201802262R

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Aoki, M., Ladyman, S. R., Phillipps, H. R., Wyatt, A., Boehm, U., & Grattan, D. R. (2017). Prolactin action in the medial preoptic area is necessary for postpartum maternal nursing behavior. PNAS, 114(40), 10779-10784. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1708025114

Journal - Research Article

Ladyman, S. R., MacLeod, M. A., Khant Aung, Z., Knowles, P., Phillipps, H. R., Brown, R. S. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2017). Prolactin receptors in Rip-cre cells, but not in AgRP neurons, are involved in energy homeostasis. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 29(10), e12474. doi: 10.1111/jne.12474

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Kokay, I. C., Phillipps, H. R., Yip, S. H., Gustafson, P., Wyatt, A., Larsen, C. M., Knowles, P., Ladyman, S. R., LeTissier, P., & Grattan, D. R. (2016). Conditional deletion of the prolactin receptor reveals functional subpopulations of dopamine neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Journal of Neuroscience, 36(35), 9173-9185. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.1471-16.2016

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Wyatt, A. K., Herbison, R. E., Knowles, P. J., Ladyman, S. R., Binart, N., … Grattan, D. R. (2016). Prolactin transport into mouse brain is independent of prolactin receptor. FASEB Journal, 30(2), 1002-1010. doi: 10.1096/fj.15-276519

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Herbison, A. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2015). Effects of prolactin and lactation on A15 dopamine neurons in the rostral preoptic area of female mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 27(9), 708-717. doi: 10.1111/jne.12297

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Herbison, A. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2014). Prolactin regulation of kisspeptin neurones in the mouse brain and its role in the lactation-induced suppression of kisspeptin expression. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 26(12), 898-908. doi: 10.1111/jne.12223

Journal - Research Article

Liu, X., Brown, R. S. E., Herbison, A. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2014). Lactational anovulation in mice results from a selective loss of kisspeptin input to GnRH neurons. Endocrinology, 155(1), 193-203. doi: 10.1210/en.2013-1621

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Piet, R., Herbison, A. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2012). Differential actions of prolactin on electrical activity and intracellular signal transduction in hypothalamic neurons. Endocrinology, 153(5), 2375-2384. doi: 10.1210/en.2011-2005

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Herbison, A. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2011). Differential changes in responses of hypothalamic and brainstem neuronal populations to prolactin during lactation in the mouse. Biology of Reproduction, 84(4), 826-836. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.089185

Journal - Research Article

Brown, R. S. E., Kokay, I. C., Herbison, A. E., & Grattan, D. R. (2010). Distribution of prolactin-responsive neurons in the mouse forebrain. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 518(1), 92-102. doi: 10.1002/cne.22208

Journal - Research Article

Georgescu, T., Swart, J. M., Grattan, D. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2021). The prolactin family of hormones as regulators of maternal mood and behavior. Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2, 767467. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.767467

Journal - Research Other

Ladyman, S. R., Hackwell, E. C. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2020). The role of prolactin in co-ordinating fertility and metabolic adaptations during reproduction. Neuropharmacology, 167, 107911. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107911

Journal - Research Other

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