Emily Jacobs - Dynamic endocrine modulation of the nervous system

Palais 

Gonadal hormones are powerful neuromodulators of learning and memory. In rodents and nonhuman primates estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone influence the central nervous system across a range of spatiotemporal scales. Yet, their influence on the structural and functional architecture of the human brain is largely unknown. In this talk, I review evidence from precision imaging studies that map the human brain across major neuroendocrine transitions (menstrual cycle, diurnal rhythms, pregnancy), revealing hormones' ability to rapidly and dynamically shape aspects of the nervous system. I end by stepping back to consider the intersection between gender equity in the sciences and the status of women's health—not as concurrent phenomenon but connected ones. Women's health factors are severely understudied by the brain mapping community. Progress in neuroscience will flourish with the health and men and women are valued equally.