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Siara Rouzer, PhD

Siara Rouzer
Siara Rouzer, PhD

Contact

srouzer@tamu.edu

Biography

Dr. Siara Rouzer is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine, specializing in the long-term neurobehavioral outcomes of prenatal substance exposures. With a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Binghamton University, her research focuses on understanding how prenatal alcohol and cannabinoid exposures impact neurobehavioral and physiological development, with an emphasis on sex-specific outcomes. Dr. Rouzer integrates diverse methodologies, including transcriptomic, anatomical, and behavioral approaches, to address critical questions in developmental teratology research.  Dr. Rouzer has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award from the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences, the NIH Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience award, and the 2024 Texas A&M College of Medicine Research Excellence Award for a Postdoctoral Fellow. Her work has been published in high-impact journals, including Neuropsychopharmacology and Frontiers in Neuroscience.

Education and Training

  • Binghamton University, PhD, Behavioral Neuroscience, 2021
  • Binghamton University, M.S, Psychology, 2017
  • University of Mary Washington, B.S, Psychology, 2015

Awards, Recognition and Service

  • Texas A&M College of Medicine – 2024 Research Excellence Award for a Postdoctoral Fellow
  • 5th Annual London & Region FASD Conference - Best Research ePoster Presentation
  • Students Transforming Through Research Program – Undergraduate Team Leader Awardee
  • Organization for the Study of Sex Differences - Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award
  • Research Society on Alcohol – Junior Investigator Award
  • 16th Annual Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry Conference – Best Postdoctoral Oral Presentation Awardee & 2024 Travel Awardee
  • Texas A&M Health Postdoctoral Association - Travel Award
  • National Institutes of Health - Outstanding Scholar in Neuroscience Award (OSNAP)
  • Gordon Research Seminar on Cannabinoid Function in the CNS – Poster Award
  • Texas A&M University Division of Research – Postdoctoral Scholar Travel Award
  • NIH R13 AA017581 - Volterra International Conference Travel Award
  • Research Society on Alcohol - John and Patricia O’Neill Addiction Science Education Award
  • Gordon Research Conference on Alcohol & the Nervous System – Poster Award
  • 6th Annual Texas A&M Postdoctoral Research Symposium – First Place Award & People’s Choice Award for a Distinguished Flash Talk Presentation
  • Texas A&M School of Medicine Postdoctoral Association - Travel Award
  • Society for Neuroscience - Trainee Professional Development Award
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Study Group - Trainee Award
  • SUNY - Graduate Research Empowering and Accelerating Talent Award
  • Binghamton University - Graduate Student Excellence Award for Outreach & Service
  • Binghamton University - Provost’s Doctoral Summer Fellowship
  • Research Society on Alcoholism - Student Merit Award
  • Gordon Research Seminar on Alcohol & the Nervous System - Poster Award
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - Travel Award
  • Graduate Student Organization of Binghamton University - Travel Award
  • Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience - Travel Award

Representative Publications

  1. Thomas, KN, Basel, A, Reitz, H, Toler, … Rouzer, SK, Miranda, RC & Golding, MC (2025, January). Maternal, Paternal, and Dual-Parental Alcohol Exposures Result in both Overlapping and Distinct Impacts on Behavior in Adolescent Offspring. Alcohol. doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.01.004
  2. Rouzer, SK, Sreeram, A, & Miranda, RC (2024, April). Reduced fetal cerebral blood flow predicts perinatal mortality in a mouse model of prenatal alcohol and cannabinoid exposure. BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06436-9
  3. Mahnke, AH, Rouzer, SK, Tseng, AM, Salem, NA, & Miranda, R (2024, January). Noncoding RNA Regulatory Networks, Epigenetics, and Programming Stem Cell Renewal and Differentiation: Implications for Stem Cell Therapy. T. O. Tollefsbol (Ed.) Epigenetics in Human Disease, Third Edition (Chapter 30). Elsevier Publishing. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-443-21863-7.00015-9
  4. Rouzer, SK^, Bake, S^, Mavuri, S, Miranda, R & Mahnke, AH (2023, October). The interaction of genetic sex and prenatal alcohol exposure on health throughout the lifespan. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101103
  5. Rouzer, SK, Chung, D, Pinson, M, Collins, N, Kuhlman, J & Miranda, R (2023, July). Mechanisms of Teratogenesis. O. A. Rahman & C. Petrenko (Eds.) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Chapter 5). Springer Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-32386-7_5
  6. Rouzer, SK^, Upreti, D^, Bowring, A, Labbe, E, Kumar, R, & Mahnke, AH (2023, June). Microbiota and nutrition as risk and resiliency factors following prenatal alcohol exposure. Front. Neurosci. 17, 182635. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1182635
  7. Rouzer, SK, Gutierrez, J, Larin, KV, & Miranda, RC (2023, March). Alcohol & cannabinoid co-use: Implications for impaired fetal brain development following gestational exposure. Experimental Neurology, 361, 114318. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114318
  8. Rouzer, SK, Kalinowski, L & Kaseda, E (2023, January). The importance of promoting scientific advocacy & outreach for trainees. Neuropsychopharmacol. 48, 713–715. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01530-6
  9. Rouzer, SK & Diaz, MR (2022, April). Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure modifies sex-specific CRFR1 activity in the central amygdala and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent offspring. Neuropsychopharmacol. 47(12), 2140-2149. doi: 10.1038/s41386-022-01327-z
  10. Rouzer, SK & Diaz, MR (2021, May). Factors of sex and age dictate the regulation of GABAergic activity by corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 in the medial sub-nucleus of the central amygdala. Neuropharmacology, 189, 108530. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108530
  11. Diaz, MR, Przybysz, KR & Rouzer, SK. (2018, November). Age as a factor in stress and alcohol interactions: A critical role for the kappa opioid system. Alcohol, 72, 9-18. doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.10.002
  12. Rouzer, SK, Cole, J, Herman, JM, Varlinskaya, EI, & Diaz, MR. (2017, September). Moderate maternal alcohol exposure on gestational day 12 impacts anxiety-like behavior in offspring. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 11, 183. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00183