Amy Jo Stavnezer

I am a behavioral neuroscientist and work mainly with mice and rats. My areas of research interest include sex difference in performance on complex learning tasks and I have investigated the influence of both gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes on those differences, the impact of environmental influences (could be contaminants or stressors) on learning, memory and disease processes, and in better assessing rodent tasks and their extrapolation to humans.

• PSYC 100: Introduction to Psychology
• PSYC 323: Behavioral Neuroscience with Lab
• PSYC 345: Drugs and Behavior
• NEUR 200: Introduction to Neuroscience
• NEUR 385: Integrative Neuroscience Senior Seminar
• Sex Differences in the Brain and Behavior
• Neuroscience of Learning and Memory
• First Year Seminar

Books and Papers

• Yates, J.R. & Stavnezer, A.J. (2014). Engaging Undergraduate Summer Research Students and Faculty in a Regional Neuroscience Network.Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 13(1), A45-A51.
• Kirchner, M.*, & Stavnezer, A.J. (2014). Activation of CB1 Receptors May Provide an Effective Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. IMPULSE (The Premier Journal for Undergraduate Publications in the Neurosciences).
• Karaszia, B. T. Stavnezer, A.J, & Reeves, J.* (2013) Graduate admissions in Clinical Neuropsychology: The importance of undergraduate training.Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 28, 711-720.
• Evert, D., Goodwin, G., & Stavnezer, A.J. (2005). Integration of computer technology into an introductory level neuroscience laboratory. Teaching and Psychology, 32 (1), 69-73.
• Stoelzel, C.R., Stavnezer, A.J., Deneberg, V.H., Ward, M., Markus, E.J. (2002). The effects of aging and dorsal hippocampal lesions: Performance on spatial and nonspatial comparable versions of the water maze. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, 78(2), 217-233.
• Stavnezer, A.J., Hyde, L.A., Bimonte, H.A., Armstrong, C.M., & Denenberg, V.H. ((2002) Differential learning strategies in spatial and nonspatial versions of the Morris water maze in the C57BL/6J inbred mouse strain. Behavioural Brain Research, 133, 261-270.
• Hyde, L.A., Stavenzer, A.J., Bimonte, H.A., Sherman, G.F., & Denenberg, V.H. (2002). Spatial and nonspatial Morris maze learning: impaired behavioral flexibility in mice with ectopias located in the prefrontal cortex. Behavioural Brain Research, 133, 247-259.
• Stavnezer, A.J., McDowell, C.S., Hyde, L.A., Bimonte, H.A., Balogh, S.A., Hoplight, B.J., & Denenberg, V.H. (2000). Spatial ability of XY sex-reversed female mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 112(1-2), 135-143.
• Hyde, L.A., Sherman, G.F., Stavnezer, A.J., & Denenberg, V.H. (2000). The effects of neocortical ectopias on Lashley III water maze learaning in NZB mice. Brain Research, 887(2), 482-483.
• Bimonte, H.A., Mack, C.M., Stavnezer, A.J., & Denenberg, V.H. (2000). Ovarian hormones can organize the rat corpus collosum in adulthood. Development Brain Research, 121(2), 169-177.
• Balogh, S.A., McDowell, C.S., Stavnezer, A.J., & Denenberg, V.H. (1999). A behavioral and neuroanatomical assessment of an inbred substrain of 129 mice with behavioral comparisons to C57BL/J6 mice. Brain Research, 836, 38-48.
• Mack, C.M., Fitch, R.H., Hyde, L.A., Seaman, A.J., Bimonte, H.A., Wei, W., & Denenberg, V.H. (1996). Lack of activational influence of ovarian hormones on the size of the female rat’s corpus callosum. Physiology and Behavior, 60.

• Stavnezer, A.J. & Kirchner, M.* (2013).  Activation of CB1 receptors decreases marble burying and is unaffected by co-administered 5HT antagonist.  Society for Neuroscience Abstracts.
• Stavnezer, A.J. & Peters, K.* (2012).  Sex differences in cortical thickness influenced assessed in the four core genotype mouse model. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 90.20.
• Stavnezer, A.J., Lang, R.*, Wadman, E.*, & Fenster, C.P. (Nov. 2011). Effects of perinatal PCB and BPA on neuroendocrine and behavioral responses. Annual Society for Neuroscience Conference, 190.12, Washington, DC.
• Stavnezer, A.J., Weigand, P.K.*, Burden, C.E.*, & Wright, E.N.* (2008). Correlation between maternal anogenital licking and adult maze learning in mice. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 281.25.
• Wright, E.N.*, Stavnezer, A.J., & Thompson, C.R. (2008). Maternal care in sex-reversed mice. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 795.21.
• Stavnezer, A.J. & Wright, E.N.* (2007). No sex chromosome effect on spatial ability or aggression in sex-reversed mice. Association for Psychological Science Conference.
• Wright, E.N.* & Stavnezer, A.J. (2007). Further evidence of sex differences in activity levels and spatial ability in C57BL/6J mice. Association for Psychological Science Conference.
• Stavnezer, A.J. & Kim, Y.* (2007).  Increased eestrogen during proestrous decreses dreezing during contextual fear conditioning in normally cycling female rats. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 309.9.
• Gaines, R.*, Becker, L.*, Weigand, P.*, & Stavnezer, A.J. (2007). The effect of sex chromosomes on activity and cognitive measures in sex-reversed mice.  Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience poster session during the Society for Neuroscience conference.
• Weigand, P.*, Gaines, R.*, Stavnezer, A.J., & Neuhoff, J. (2007). Auditory perception and spatial ability across menstrual cycle. Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience poster session during the Society for Neuroscience conference.
• Stavnezer, A.J., Hess, S.*, & Segovis, C.* (2005). Further exploration of gender phenotype and sex chromosome influences on rodent spatial learning. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 778.7.
• Arora, A.* & Stavnezer, A.J. (2004). Performance of NR2B Transgenic Mice on Two Versions of the Hebb-Williams Apparatus. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 28.
• Stavnezer, A.J. (2004). incorporating Neuroscience Examples into Introduction to Psychology. National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology Conference.
• Evert, D. Goodwin, G., & Stavnezer, A.J. (2002). Presentation of an Introductory Level Neuroscience Course with Interactive Lab. National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology Conference.
• Stavnezer, A.J., & Denenberg, V.H. (2000). Sex differences in spatial working memory in the C57BL/6J mouse strain. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts,26, 2245.
• Stavnezer, A.J., Galle, K.T.*, Balogh, S.A., & Denenberg, V.H. (1999). A behavioral and neuroanatomical characterization of the 129/J inbred mouse strain. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 25, 640.
• Stoelzel, C.R.*, Stavnezer, A.J., Marchillo, S., Carlson, J., Denenberg, V.H., & Markus, E.J. (1999). A reference water maze task comparable in difficulty to the Morris maze: effects of age and hippocampal lesions. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 25, 1627.
• Stavnezer, A.J., Hyde, L.A., & Denenberg, V.H. (1998). A new non-spatial version of the Morris water maze: using intra-maze patterned cues, not a visible platform. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 24, 439.
• Stanezer, A.J., McDowell, C.S., Balogh, S.A., Bimonte, H.A., McGivern, R.F., & Denenberg, V.H. (1998). Independent effects of testosterone and the Y chromosome on spatial learning. Brain Research, 809, A31.
• Bimonte, H.A., Stavnezer, A.J., & Denenberg, V.H. (1998). The sensitive window for ovarian hormone effects on the rat corpus callosum extends post-pubertally. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 24, 548.

• Elected as Secretary of Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience, November 2013
• Associate Editor of the Journal for Undergraduate Neuroscience Education
• Councilor for Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience, 2010-2012.
• 2008, 2009 &  2010: Served as a Reader for the Advanced Placement Psychology exam, which involves reading the free response questions and scoring them for a week each summer. This year there were 175,000 exams!

• Awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates grant for 2016-2018, to support 4 undergraduate research students each summer, and to collaborate with Ohio Wesleyan University, Earlham College and Kenyon College. President of Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience.
• Awarded a Great Lakes Colleges Association Expanding Collaboration Initiative Proposal titled: Summer teaching, learning and professional development seminars for Neuroscience faculty and their research students ($11,300).
• Awarded an Equipment Loan from the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience for a 2-year loan of the Noldus Ethovision software and hardware to visually track and analyze rodent learning and behavior.