Emily Jacobs

Emily Jacobs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on the intersection of sex hormones, neuroimaging, and aging, particularly studying how hormonal changes during menopause and pregnancy shape brain structure and function. Jacobs leads the Jacobs Lab, which employs advanced neuroimaging techniques to investigate endocrine aging, maternal brain adaptations, and hormonal influences on cognition.

Her work is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and others. Notable projects include the Maternal Brain Project (tracking neural changes during pregnancy), the '28 and Me' study (examining menstrual cycle effects on brain networks), and pharmacological studies of hormone suppression in endometriosis patients. Jacobs has received awards such as the Hellman Fellows Fund and the Harvey L. Karp Discovery Award.

Research interests span neuroendocrinology, aging, spatial navigation, and telomere biology. Collaborations include Profs. Liz Chrastil and Ina Stelzer, and her lab actively recruits researchers across career stages. The lab is based at UCSB’s Neuroscience Research Institute and Brain Imaging Center.