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Principal Investigator

Rosie Brown staff photo Dr Rosie Brown

Email rosemary.brown@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 8207
Fax 64 3 479 7323
Department of Physiology website

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_webIsaiah Cheong, Assistant Research Fellow
Neuroendocrine regulation of maternal behaviour
Email isaiah.cheong@otago.ac.nz

Jenny Clarkson_webJenny Clarkson, Research Fellow
Neural circuits required for maternal adaptation to pregnancy
Email jenny.clarkson@otago.ac.nz

Jamie McQuillan_webJamie McQuillan, Postdoctoral Fellow
Email jamie.mcquillan@otago.ac.nz

Michael Perkinson_webMichael Perkinson, Postdoctoral Fellow
Email michael.perkinson@otago.ac.nz

Logan Wragg, MSc student
Email wralo858@student.otago.ac.nz

Nikkita Murray, Honours student
Email murni023@student.otago.ac.nz

Visit Our people for an alphabetical list of all Centre for Neuroendocrinology staff.

Research Funders

Publications

Pal, T., McQuillan, H. J., Wragg, L., & Brown, R. S. E. (2024). Hormonal actions in the medial preoptic area governing parental behaviour: Novel insights from new tools. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqae152 Journal - Research Article

Menezes, F., Wasinski, F., de Souza, G. O., Nunes, A. P., Bernandes, E. S., dos Santos, S. N., … Brown, R. S. E., … Donato, J., Jr (2024). The pattern of growth hormone action in the mouse brain. Endocrinology, bqae057. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqae057 Journal - Research Article

Khant Aung, Z., Ladyman, S. R., & Brown, R. S. E. (2024). Transient loss of satiety effects of leptin in middle-aged male mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.13386 Journal - Research Article

Perkinson, M. R., Deng, F., Li, Y., Brown, R. S. E., & Lonstein, J. S. (2023). Fiber photometric analysis of nucleus accumbens serotonin release during the display of maternal behavior in female mice. Proceedings of the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. PSTR352.13/HH28. Retrieved from https://www.sfn.org/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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

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