Bridging the gap between innate and learned behaviors: a parental role in promoting survival

Bianca Jones Marlin is a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from New York University School of Medicine, and dual bachelor degrees in biology and adolescent education from St. John's University.

As postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Axel, she investigates transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or how trauma in parents affect the brain structure and sensory experience of their future offspring. During her graduate studies, in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Froemke, Dr. Marlin examined how the brain adapts to care for a newborn. Her findings uncovered a fundamental role of the neuromodulator oxytocin during the transition to motherhood.

Dr. Marlin aims to utilize neurobiology and the science of learning to better inform both the scientific and educational community on how positive experiences dictate brain health, academic performance, and social well being.