DR. AMY NEWMAN - University of Toronto Mississauga

DR. AMY NEWMAN
Assistant Professor, University of Guelph
A candidate for the Assistant Professor, Animal Physiology position in the
Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga
Dr. Amy Newman is currently an Assistant Professor in the department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph. In 2004, she
received her BSc at Queen’s University where she studied the effects of extreme environments on insect neurophysiology, specifically
motor pattern generation in locusts and function of the neuromuscular junction in drosophila larvae. In 2009, she received her PhD in
Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia, where her work on stress, neurosteroids and neuroprotection in the song
sparrow brain was supported by NSERC and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. Then, as an NSERC Postdoctoral
Fellow at the University of Guelph, she investigated the neuroendocrine and epigenetic effects of maternal stress in Kluane Red
Squirrels.
Neuroendocrinology of
Stress in the Wild
Knowledge of the mechanisms that link stress exposure to physiology and fitness is
critical for understanding how species respond to environmental change. The
hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is a key physiological mechanism connecting an
organism to its environment, through both acute responses and long-term adaptation.
Using a multidisciplinary and integrative approach in a variety of animal models, I have
demonstrated that both acute and chronic stress can affect neurosteroid regulation, HPA
axis function, and adult neuroanatomy. Through experimental manipulations in the wild, I
have also shown that early life stress exposure in birds and mammals can have long-term
effects on development of the HPA axis and adult neuroendocrine function. Through
unique opportunities with long-term populations, my research will explore novel
physiological and epigenetic mechanisms into how stress and environmental variation
during development influence neurophysiology and fitness.
Monday February 2, 2015
10:00 AM— IB 150
For more information regarding this seminar, please contact:
Stephanie do Rego ([email protected])

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