Jessica A. Mong

Jessica A. Mong, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also serves as Assistant Dean for Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies and Director of Graduate Education for the Program in Neuroscience. Her research focuses on the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying sex differences in sleep circuitry and the estrogenic modulation of sleep-wake cycles.

• Primary Appointment: Pharmacology & Physiology
• Administrative Title: Assistant Dean for Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies
• Laboratory Director: Program in Neuroscience

Research Interests: Dr. Mong's work investigates how ovarian steroids influence sleep-wake behavior through sexually differentiated neuroanatomical substrates. Key areas include:

• Mechanisms of estrogenic modulation in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPN)
• Developmental programming of sex differences in sleep sensitivity
• Translational studies using rodent and nonhuman primate models of menopause
• Functional significance of hormonal influences on sleep quality and recovery

Scientific Trends: Her recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize:

• Role of KCNMA1 channelopathy in sleep regulation
• Adenosinergic signaling in MnPN
• Translational menopause models
• Estrogen's protective effects against noise-induced hearing loss
• Sex-dependent responses to kynurenine pathway challenges

Awards & Appointments:

• NIH BIRCWH Scholar (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health)
• Co-Chair, Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Research Network on Sex-Differences in Sleep Health
• NIH/NHLBI R01 HL129138 grant recipient

Education & Training:

• B.S., Biology, Gettysburg College (1987-1991)
• Ph.D., Neuropharmacology, University of Maryland Baltimore (1994-2000)
• NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Endocrinology, Rockefeller University (2000-2003)