What We Do

Our research explores the effects of environmental stressors on the developing brain (e.g., maternal/neonatal infection, psychogenic manipulations, drugs and other neurotoxicants). We also have a particular interest in evaluating factors that offer protective and/or rehabilitative potential against early-life adversity.

Using rodent models, we assess behavioral performance using a variety of translational behavioral tasks including several sociability metrics, prepulse inhibition, touchscreen technology, and other indices of emotional reactivity. Neuroendocrine and neurobiological correlates are also evaluated using standard approaches such as ELISA, western blotting, immunochemistry, and qPCR. The lab is currently evolving to include additional methods to evaluate neural circuit adaptations that arise from exposure to enrichment (e.g., environmental complexity, targeted sensory stimulation, maternal care).

Here is a select listing of some of our work:

Núñez Estevez, K., Rondón-Ortiz, A., Nguyen, J., Kentner, A.C. (2020). Environmental influences on placental programming and offspring outcomes following maternal immune activation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 83, 44-55,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.192  

Kentner, A.C., Bilbo, S.D., Brown, A.S., Hsiao, E.Y., McAllister, A.K., Meyer, U., Pearce, B.D., Pletnikov, M.V., Yolken, R.H., Bauman, M.D. (2019). Maternal immune activation: reporting guidelines to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and transparency of the model. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44, 275-258, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-018-0185-7. 

Kentner, A.C., Cryan, J.F., Brummelte, S. (2019). Resilience priming: translational models for understanding resiliency and adaptation to early-life adversity. Developmental Psychobiology, 61, 350-375,  https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21775.

Kentner, A.C., Scalia, S., Shin, J., Migliore, M.M., Rondon-Ortiz, A.N. (2018). Targeted sensory enrichment interventions protect against behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of early life stress.  

Psychoneuroendocrinology, 98, 74-85,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.029.  

Yan, S., Kentner, A.C. (2017). Mechanical allodynia corresponds to Oprm1 downregulation within the descending pain network of male and female rats exposed to neonatal immune challenge. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 63, 148-159; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27742580.  

Other publications may be found under our 'Publications' section of this website. 

Contact Information

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School of Arts & Sciences
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

179 Longwood Avenue
Boston Massachusetts
02115

email: amanda.kentner@mcphs.edu

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