Susan Zup

Susan Zup is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and serving as Director of the Developmental and Brain Sciences Doctoral Program.

• PhD from University of Massachusetts Amherst

Her research focuses on hormonal influences during brain development and sex differences in neurological disease susceptibility. She investigates how prenatal hormone exposure permanently shapes brain structures, synapses, and future behavior patterns, with particular attention to male brain vulnerability in disorders like autism. Her work spans animal models (spotted hyenas, rats) to examine hormonal regulation of neuronal survival, sexual dimorphism, and neuroprotective mechanisms through ovarian hormones.

Recent publications highlight trends in BCL-2 regulation, hippocampal neurogenesis, and cell signaling pathways contributing to brain sexual differentiation. She also explores neurotoxic effects of anesthetics in immature neurons through GABAergic mechanisms.

Contact: Susan.Zup@umb.edu | Phone: 617.287.6319 | Office: McCormack Hall, Room 04,00273