Jill McGaughy

Jill McGaughy is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Hampshire, specializing in translational neuroscience of cognitive control, prefrontal cortex function, and the impact of prenatal insults. Her research employs rodent models to investigate attentional mechanisms and executive function deficits, with significant contributions to understanding nutritional and neurochemical influences on brain development.

Dr. McGaughy earned her academic credentials from Bradley University and The Ohio State University:

• B.A. in Psychology from Bradley University
• M.A. in Psychology from The Ohio State University
• Ph.D. in Psychology from The Ohio State University

Her research program centers on neural mechanisms of attention and executive function, particularly examining how prenatal protein malnutrition disrupts neurotransmitter systems (norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin) in prefrontal cortical regions. Using sophisticated techniques like in vivo microdialysis and lesion studies, her work bridges basic neurobiology with clinical implications for attention disorders. Current investigations increasingly incorporate epigenetic perspectives, as evidenced by her 2016 DNA methylation study linking early malnutrition to cognitive deficits.

Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on prenatal/early-life challenges affecting attentional processes, with methodological evolution from classical lesion approaches to molecular and epigenetic analyses. Her 2021-2025 work demonstrates expanded scope to include emotional intelligence metrics and academic engagement frameworks while maintaining core focus on neurodevelopmental impacts of nutritional insults.

Dr. McGaughy actively mentors students through honors theses and research experiences, teaching courses including Attention Disorders, Drugs and Behavior, and Psychobiology annually since 2014. Her research program is sustained by significant external funding:

• Executive Function in a Rodent Model of FASD (University of Delaware, 2014-2017)
• Cortical Norepinephrine and Adolescent Executive Function (NIH, 2010-2012)
• Malnutrition and Mental Health: A Rat Model (Judge Baker Children's Center, 2009-2010)
• Effects of Methylphenidate on Attentional and Affective Shifting (University of Wisconsin, 2009-2010)

She directs a neuroscience laboratory utilizing rat models to dissect attentional mechanisms through behavioral paradigms (sustained attention tasks, set-shifting), neurochemical monitoring, and anatomical analysis, with particular expertise in noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems within prefrontal subregions.