معرفی
Rachel E. Bowman is a Professor in the Department of Psychology within the College of Arts and Sciences at Sacred Heart University, teaching courses including Introduction to Psychology, Experimental Research, Brain & Behavior, and Advanced Psychological Research in traditional and online formats.
Education:
- B.S., Appalachian State University
- M.A., Appalachian State University
- Ph.D., CUNY Hunter College
Her research program focuses on behavioral neuroendocrinology, investigating how stress, gonadal hormones, and environmental factors alter memory, anxiety, and depression-like behaviors with emphasis on sex-dependent effects. Using rodent models, she examines neural mechanisms like dendritic spine plasticity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and explores mitigation through environmental enrichment and impacts of toxins like Bisphenol-A.
Recent publications (2019-2025) reveal consistent themes: sex-specific stress responses in neural plasticity, chronic stress effects on anxiety/depression, and environmental toxin impacts on cognitive development. Her work integrates behavioral testing with neuroanatomical analysis to uncover biological underpinnings of psychological phenomena.
Scientific Awards:
- 60th Anniversary Curtis Medal (2024)
- Faculty Representative Title IX Committee for Athletics (2024)
- 2016 Professor Award (2016)
Dr. Bowman actively mentors psychology and neuroscience students, supervising capstone projects and research assistantships that frequently result in student co-authorships and conference presentations. Her research program is sustained by three concurrent NIH/NIMH grants titled 'Chronic Stress Events on Female Rats' investigating long-term stress impacts on rodent behavior and neural structures.
Her laboratory employs rodent behavioral paradigms and neuroanatomical techniques including Golgi staining to visualize dendritic spines, operating within Sacred Heart University's Psychology Department facilities with focus on stress neurobiology and environmental interactions.
