COURSES TAUGHT:

• PY101: General Psychology
• PY261: Biological Bases of Behavior
  
• PY272: Psychobiology Laboratory
  
• PY272: Hormones and Behavior 
• PY290: Drugs and Behavior 
• PY298: Supervised Research

COURSE LINKS:
       PY 261 Syllabus

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Professor Harding runs an active behavioral neuroscience laboratory with paid, volunteer, and course-credit opportunities for exceptional undergraduate students.  Her primary interests are in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (Hormones and Behavior).  More specifically, she is interested in the role of androgens and androgen receptors in male and female reproductive behaviors, using rodents as a model.  Other interests include (1) the role of steroid hormones in the onset of maternal behavior and developing an animal model for postpartum depression, and (2) the neuroprotective effects of hormones on cognitive decline.  Students in the laboratory become familiar with small animal surgeries and a number of behavioral assays, including copulation tests, tests for sexual motivation (partner preference and conditioned place preference), and tests to measure ultrasonic vocalizations in the presence of sexual stimuli.  Ongoing research has resulted in numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
 
                                                                

Former students Allison Hobson (left) and Sarah Sexton (right) assist in the labaratory.

EDUCATION:

• PhD Neuroscience (2003) NYU / Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY (Mentor: Marilyn McGinnis, Ph.D.)
• M.S. Physiology and Neurobiology (1996) University of CT, Storrs, CT (Mentor: Victor Denenberg, Ph.D.) 
• B.A. Psychology / Premedical program (1994) College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA

OTHER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

• Pretenure leave (Sept 2005-December 2005), CMBN, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ (Mentor: Joan Morrell, Ph.D.)
  
• Graduate assistant (Sept 1996-December 1997), Psychology Dept., Boston College, Boston, MA (Mentor: John Mitchell, Ph.D.)
• Research assistant (December 1997-August 1999), NYU Medical Center (NASA project), New York, NY (Mentor: Kerry Walton, Ph.D.)

 FORMER AND CURRENT STUDENTS:

•   Summer 2004: Jamie Cahill, Taylor Clarke, Jamie Morely
  
•   Fall 2004: Jamie Cahill, Jamie Morely, Meaghan Kapler
•   Spring 2005: Kaitlyn Salem, Lynda Wilmott
•   Summer 2005: Allison Hobson, Sarah Sexton
•   Fall 2005: Lauren Blanchette, Caroline Agin
•   Spring 2006: Caroline Agin, Kyle D'Abrosca
•   Summer 2006:  Caroline Agin, Catherine DeNatale, Jennifer Lechak
•   Fall 2006: Jonathan Velotta
  

PUBLICATIONS-Peer-Reviewed Journals

Harding SM and McGinnis, MY. Microlesions of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus: effects on sociosexual behaviors in male rats. Behavioral Neuroscience 2005 Oct: 119 (5): 1227-34.

Walton K, Harding S, Anschel D, Mandelbaum YT and Llinas R. The effects of microgravity on the development of surface righting in rats.   Journal of Physiology 2005 June 565 (part 2); 593-608.  (Cover story)

Harding SM and McGinnis MY. Androgen receptor blockade in the MPOA or VMN: effects on sociosexual behaviors. Physiology and Behavior 2004 June: 81(4): 671-80.

Harding SM and McGinnis MY.  Effects of testosterone in the VMN on copulation, partner preference, and vocalizations in male rats.  Hormones and Behavior 2003 Feb; 43 (2): 327-335.

Hyde LA, Hoplight BJ, Harding S, Sherman GF, Mobraaten LE, and Denenberg VH. Effects of ectopias and their cortical location on several measures of learning in BXSB mice. Developmental Psychobiology 2001 Dec; 39(4):286-300.

Hoplight BJ, Mobraaten L, Sherman GF, Hyde LA, Harding S, Denenberg VH. Effects of the non-pseudoautosomal region of the Y-chromosome on behavior in female offspring of two congenic strains of mice. Neuroscience 2000; 96(4):837-42
 

PUBLICATIONS-Abstracts

Harding SM. The effects of excitotoxic VMN lesions on the restoration of male rat sociosexual behaviors.  Program No. 871.13. 2005 Abstract Viewer/Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience, 2005. Online.

Morley J, Salem K, Wilmott L, Harding SM.  The effects of excitotoxic VMN lesions on the restoration of male rat sociosexual behaviors.  NEURON (Northeast Undergraduate research on neuroscience) meeting; April 17, 2005.

Harding SM and McGinnis, MY. Microlesions of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus: effects on sociosexual behaviors in male rats. Program No. 423.4. 2004 Abstract Viewer / Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC:Soc. for Neurosci., 2004.

Harding SM and McGinnis, MY. Effects of hydroxyflutamide implants in the MPOA or VMN on sociosexual behavior in male rats. Soc. Neurosci., 27, 493, 2002.

Harding SM and McGinnis MY. Testosterone propionate in the VMN of the hypothalamus is sufficient to restore partner preference in castrated male rats.  Horm. Behav. 39: 332, 2001.

Harding SM and McGinnis MY. The effects of testosterone propionate in the VMN on copulation, 50kHz vocalization, and partner preference in castrated male rats.  Soc. Neurosci., 27: 493, 2001.

Harding SM, Rose R, Fein J, Gokcebay N, Vagell ME, McGinnis MY.  Hydroxyflutamide treatment in the dorsomedial VMN but not adjacent areas inhibits copulatory behavior in male rats. Soc. Neurosci., 26: 1277, 2000.

Harding S,  Anschel D, and Walton K.  Identification of a critical period for the development of righting strategy. Soc. Neurosci., 25: 237, 1999.

FAMILY PHOTOS: