Laila Burrell | 2026 I.S. Symposium
Name: Laila Burrell
Title: Investigating the Neuroanatomical and Behavioral Consequences of Motherhood
Major: Neuroscience
Advisor: Amy Jo Stavnezer
This study investigates the cellular mechanisms that potentially underly 鈥淢ommy brain鈥, which is characterized by memory deficits during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Significant increases in hormones, specifically progesterone during pregnancy, causes the upregulation of GABA-A receptor proteins that decrease neuronal activity. This occurs specifically within a brain region associated with memory called the hippocampus When the concentration of progesterone increases, a particular subunit (delta subunit) of the GABA-A receptor changes. Brain imaging (immunohistochemistry) observed whether this upregulation occurred at various points of pregnancy, including pre-conception, currently pregnant, and postpartum using rodent models. Hippocampally-dependent behavioral testing (Morris Water Maze) was performed on female rodents to further investigate whether maternity impacts memory. The postpartum group demonstrated impaired learning on the Morris maze in comparison to virgins, however there were no group differences in delta subunit concentration in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Future research should further investigate the interactions between these cellular mechanisms and the observed behavioral changes across maternal stages.
Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.
