Shannon Stephens

Shannon Stephens, PhD is an Assistant Professor at Albany Medical College in the Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics department. Her research focuses on neuroendocrinology, reproductive biology, and genetic regulation of brain-reproduction interactions.

• Emory University PhD (2013), MA (2008), and Franklin & Marshall BA (2003)
• NIH-funded research on kisspeptin neurons in the amygdala and other extrahypothalamic regions

Dr. Stephens investigates how estrogen receptor α regulates Kiss1 expression during puberty and fertility. Her work has implications for infertility treatment through neuronal tract tracing, transgenic mouse models, and immunohistochemistry approaches.

Recent publications analyze kisspeptin's role in stress-induced reproductive suppression, estrogen receptor signaling, and extrahypothalamic reproductive control. Key techniques include RNA sequencing, stereotaxic injections, and in vivo fertility assessments.

Grants include NIH awards T32 HD007203, F32 HD088060, and U54 HD028934. She has advised multiple studies on sex steroid signaling and neuroendocrine gene regulation in mice.