Amanda Kentner, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology
Department: School of Arts and Sciences
Office: Matricaria 4005E
Contact: amanda.kentner@mcphs.edu
(P) 617.274.3360
Schools
School of Arts and Sciences
Programs
Health Psychology (BS)
Premedical & Health Studies (BS)
Education
PhD, Experimental Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada
BA, Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada
Research Interests
Animal Models
Early life adversity
Environmental Enrichment
Neuroendocrinology
Neuroprotection
Neurorehabilitation
Maternal Care
Sex differences
Peer-Reviewed Articles & Book Chapters
Strzelewicz A.R,, Sanchez E.O., Rondón-Ortiz A.N., Raneri A., Famularo S.T., Bangasser D.A., Kentner A.C. (2019). Access to a high resource environment protects against accelerated maturation following early life stress: A translational animal model of high, medium and low security settings. Hormones and Behavior, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.01.003
Kentner, A.C., Bilbo, S.D., Brown, A.S., Hsiao, E.Y., McAllister, A.K., Meyer, U., Pearce, B.D., Pletnikov, M.V., Yolken, R.H., Bauman, M.D. (2019). Maternal immune activation: reporting guidelines to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and transparency of the model. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44, 245-258, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-018-0185-7.
Kentner, A.C., Scalia, S., Shin, J., Migliore, M.M., Rondon-Ortiz, A.N. (2018). Targeted sensory enrichment interventions protect against behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of early life stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 98, 74-85, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.029.
Kentner, A.C., Cryan, J.F., Brummelte, S. (2018). Resilience priming: translational models for understanding resiliency and adaptation to early-life adversity. Developmental Psychobiology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21775.
Kentner, A.C., Lima, E., Migliore, M.M., Shin, J., Scalia, S. (2018). Complex environmental rearing enhances social salience and affects hippocampal corticotropin releasing hormone receptor expression in a sex specific manner. Neuroscience, 369, 399-411, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.11.035.
Yan, S., Kentner, A.C., (2017). Mechanical allodynia corresponds to Oprm1 downregulation within the descending pain network of male and female rats exposed to neonatal immune challenge. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 63, 148-159, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.10.007.
Kentner, A.C., Khoury, A., Lima Queiroz, E., MacRae, M. (2016). Environmental enrichment rescues the effects of early life inflammation on markers of synaptic plasticity. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 57, 151-160, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.03.013.
Connors, E.J., Migliore, M.M., Pillsbury, S.L., Shaik, A.N., Kentner, A.C. (2015). Environmental enrichment models a naturalistic form of maternal separation and shapes the anxiety response patterns of offspring. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 52, 153-167, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.021.
Connors, E.J., Shaik, N.A., Migliore, M.M., Kentner, A.C. (2014). Environmental enrichment mitigates the sex-specific effects of gestational inflammation on social engagement and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis-feedback system. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 42, 178-190, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2014.06.020.
PubMed Profile
Honors
2018 | Kentner, A.C. The protective role of environmental enrichment on placental mediators of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysfunction in a prenatal inflammatory rat model. National Institute of Mental Health 1R15MH114035-01A1, $377,550. June 1st 2018 to May 31st 2021, PI.
2018 | Gail P. and Edward A. Bucher Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Student-Faculty Research Collaboration
2017 | MCPHS University-Wide Faculty Scholarship Award “Discovery” - for Best Published Research Paper (Kentner et al 2016 - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 57, 151-160).
2016 | Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Faculty Mentor Award
2014 | Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Faculty Mentor Award
2013 | Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Faculty Mentor Award
Current Professional Memberships, Service & Leadership
2018-present | USA Councillor of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society
2017-present | Social Media Manager, Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
2017-present | Councillor, Boston Area Neuroscience Chapter of Society for Neuroscience
2016-present | Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Editorial Board Member