Adrienne M. Antonson

Adrienne M. Antonson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Neuroscience Program. She leads the Antonson Developmental Neuroimmunology Lab, focusing on immunology, microbiology, and developmental neuroscience.

• Education: PhD in Immunophysiology and Behavior (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018), Postdoctoral Fellow at Ohio State University (2018-2021)
• Affiliations: Microbial Systems Initiative, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (Environmental Impact on Reproductive Health Theme), Interdisciplinary Environmental Toxicology Program

Her research investigates how prenatal maternal immune activation—via viral infections or stress—alters fetal microglial function and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Using translational animal models, she examines inflammatory pathways linking maternal insults to behavioral abnormalities and mental health disorders in offspring.

Recent publications reveal critical insights into influenza A virus impacts on maternal-fetal immunity, epigenetic disruptions in hypothalamic development, and microbiome-mediated neuroinflammatory mechanisms. Her work emphasizes the maternal-fetal interface as a key regulator of neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Contact: aantnsn2@illinois.edu, Edward R. Madigan Laboratory, 1201 W Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801