Tania Roth

Tania Roth is a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences at the University of Delaware, where she has been a faculty member since 2010. She holds a primary appointment in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences within the College of Arts & Sciences and leads an active research laboratory focused on epigenetic mechanisms underlying early-life stress and caregiving experiences.

Research Interests: Dr. Roth’s work centers on understanding how early-life adversity, particularly caregiver maltreatment, leads to lasting epigenetic changes—especially DNA methylation—that influence behavior and mental health across the lifespan. Her lab uses rodent models to study neurobehavioral development, with a focus on anxiety, memory, and parenting behaviors across generations.

The trends in her recent research reflect a strong emphasis on translational epigenetics, exploring both preventive and corrective pharmacological interventions to reverse the long-term effects of early trauma. Her studies span behavioral neuroscience, developmental psychology, and clinical science, often integrating molecular assays with complex behavioral testing in both adolescent and adult animals.

Scientific Awards:

• Young Investigator Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
• 2010 Ziskind-Somerfeld Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry
• 2015 Early Career Impact Award from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
• Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (2012)

Advising and Grants: Dr. Roth mentors students and researchers in her lab and has secured continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support her innovative work on epigenetic regulation in response to early-life experiences. Her projects often involve interdisciplinary collaboration and aim to inform interventions for at-risk populations.

Labs and Teams: She leads the Roth Lab at the University of Delaware, which investigates the interplay between caregiving history, epigenetic modifications, and behavioral outcomes using rodent models. Her team conducts experiments on memory, anxiety, depression-like behaviors, and transgenerational transmission of stress effects.