Beyond Birth Control: Hormonal Contraceptives and the Adolescent Brain

Abstract:
Growing attention has been directed to the inclusion of females in neuroscience studies, and to the importance of studying sex as a biological variable. However, how female-specific factors affect the brain remains poorly understood. One critical example is the use of hormonal contraceptives, which are taken by millions of individuals, often beginning in adolescence when ovarian hormones play a vital role in the maturation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC)—a brain region essential for emotional regulation, stress-responsiveness, and cognitive function. Hormonal contraceptives consist of synthetic hormones that disrupt the endogenous hormonal milieu, but little is known about how such alterations during this sensitive developmental window affect PFC development. In this talk, I will present recent preclinical work from my lab using an animal model to examine how hormonal contraceptives shape the adolescent PFC and behavior and in doing so, highlight the importance of studying hormonal contraceptives from neuroscientific perspective.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Leuner received her B.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience at Lehigh University, Ph.D. in Biopsychology at Rutgers University and did post-doctoral training in Neuroscience at Princeton University. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience at The Ohio State University. Dr. Leuner’s research program focuses on addressing issues/questions that are unique to the female brain and of relevance to women’s health. Her work takes a multi-systems approach studying brain plasticity and behavior, and the influence of the endocrine system and immune system, in the context of female-specific factors such as pregnancy and hormonal contraceptive use in rodent models. Rooted in behavioral neuroscience and enriched by a translational framework, Dr. Leuner aims to contribute to advancing understanding of female neurobiology. Her research has been supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.

Contact

  Nikki Crowley
  nzc27@psu.edu