Anthony Auger

NIH Biosketch
PubMed Publications
Department Website

Research Focus:

Epigenetic organization of juvenile brain and behavior:
Do sex differences in neuroepigenetic mechanisms mediate risk or resilience to the impact of early-life adversity on juvenile mental health disorders?

The study of epigenetics allows for the understanding of how early gene x environmental interactions can shape lasting differences in gene function and behavior. As such, juvenile social disorders may result from atypical epigenetic programming of neuronal tissues during critical periods of development. To investigate the epigenetic programming of juvenile social disorders, my research has focused on how brief environmental perturbations in epigenetic processes within the developing brain can have lasting consequences on juvenile social behavior and health disparities. As some juvenile mental health disorders are diagnosed at different rates between males and females, we are examining how sex differences in epigenetic processes underlie risk and resilience to some mental health disorders.

Although there are physiological and behavioral differences between men and women, perhaps the most profound sex differences are in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Sex differences have been reported in depression, schizophrenia, autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Currently, it is unclear how these differences occur and to what extent they are different between men and women. We propose that sex differences in these epigenetic factors not only contribute to sexual differentiation of the brain, but that they also confer sexually dimorphic risk and resilience for developing neurological and mental health disorders later in life.

Program Activities

• Joined ERP Program: 2021

Trainees

Current ERP students

• Thomas Niepsuj (MS in progress)

• Anna Jesch (MS in progress)

Past ERP students

• Gabriela de Faria Oliveira, PhD ’23