Alexandra Castillo-Ruiz

Dr. Alexandra Castillo-Ruiz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University, specializing in Behavioral Neuroscience. Her research focuses on the critical role of birth as a biological event that shapes brain and behavioral development in placental mammals.

• PhD in Psychology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology & Behavior from Michigan State University
• MA in Psychology from Michigan State University
• BS in Biology from Agrarian La Molina University

Dr. Castillo-Ruiz's work investigates how birth-associated factors like microbiota colonization, birth mode (Cesarean vs. vaginal), and hypoxia influence neurodevelopment. Using mouse models, her lab explores neuroinflammatory responses, epigenetic mechanisms, and hormonal changes during the perinatal period.

Her recent publications highlight microbiota-brain interactions, birth-induced immune activation, and long-term neuroendocrine consequences of birth mode differences. Key themes include developmental plasticity, neuroimmune coupling, and evolutionary conserved perinatal processes.

The Castillo-Ruiz Lab serves as an interdisciplinary research hub at Michigan State University, employing cellular, molecular, and behavioral techniques to study neurodevelopmental programming by birth events. Their work has clinical relevance for understanding impacts of peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery rates.