Education | Laboratory Personnel | General Research Interest | Selected Research Projects
Research and Clinical Interests | Major Specialized Equipment Items Available | Selected Publications

Elizabeth McCone Byrnes
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Neuroendocrinology
Phone: 508-839-7986
Fax: 508-839-7091
Email: elizabeth.byrnes@tufts.edu

Education
BA - University of Massachusetts at Boston - 1991
PhD - The Ohio State University - 1995

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Laboratory Personnel
Jessica Babb, Senior Laboratory Technician

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General Research Interests - Neuroendrocrinology; maternal behavior; animal models of drug abuse

Research Sponsor Interest

  • Privately Funded Research
  • Federally Funded Research
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Selected Research Projects

  1. How Motherhood Changes the Brain - This project examines the long term changes in the brain following pregnancy. One of the primary focus areas is the formation of memories that increase the female's motivation to behave maternally toward foster young. Specific alterations in the brain in conjunction with behavioral changes are explored.

  2. Neural and Endocrine Consquences of Parity - This project examines the underlying mechanisms which contribute to alterations in the endocrine system following pregnancy and lactation. The primary focus areas are hypothalamic regulation of prolactin secretion and long term changes in estrogen receptor expression in the brain.

  3. Reproductive Consquences of Pubertal Opiate Abuse - This project examines the effect of opiate abuse during puberty on future maternal behavior, including lactation. In addition, this project also explores how a history of drug abuse in the mother can alter the propensity of her offspring to abuse drugs.

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Research and Clinical Interests

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Brain and Behavior
  • Maternal Behavior
  • Long-Term Consequences of Motherhood
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Selected Publications

  1. Byrnes EM.  (2005)  Transgenerational consequences of adolescent morphine exposure in female rats: Effects on anxiety-like behaviors and morphine sensitization in adult offspring. Psychopharmacology 182(4):537-544. 

  2. Byrnes EM and Bridges RS.  (2006) Reproductive experience alters anxiety-like behavior in the female rat.  Hormones and Behavior, 50:70-76.

  3. Bridges RS, Byrnes EM. (2006) Reproductive experience reduces circulating estradiol-17β and prolactin levels during proestrus and alters estrogen sensitivity in female rats. Endocrinology 147:2575-2582

  4. Byrnes EM, Bridges RS.  (2006)  Reproductive experience reduces the sedative, but not the anxiolytic effects of diazepam.  Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31: 988-996.

  5. Byrnes EM, Bridges RS, Scanlan VF, Babb J, Byrnes JJ.  (2006) Sensorimotor gating and dopamine function in postpartum rats. Neuropsychopharmacology, advance online publication, October 18, 2006 (doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301222).

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