Karen Scott, Ph.D., M.S.
Research Assistant Professor
About Karen Scott
Karen A. Scott, Ph.D., received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Penn State University and a Master’s degree in Animal Sciences from Purdue University. After briefly working for the USDA, Dr. Scott joined the laboratory of Dr. Timothy H. Moran at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. There, she performed research investigating how the brain controlled feeding and metabolism. Subsequently, Dr. Scott completed her doctoral training within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience in the laboratory of Dr. Randall R. Sakai. Her research focused on early life stress and its influence on stress susceptibility and social behavior in adulthood, as well as the effects of chronic social stress and early life manipulations on metabolism. Dr. Scott was awarded a competitive Ruth L. Kirchstein F31 Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health that supported her doctoral studies. Following her Ph.D., she moved to University College Cork in Cork, Ireland, to conduct a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. John F. Cryan. There, she studied the gut-brain axis, and the role that the gut microbiota plays in mediating this bi-directional communication. Dr. Scott joined University of Florida College of Pharmacy in spring 2018 as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacodynamics. The goal of her research at University of Florida is to continue to investigate stress vulnerability and resilience and the role of the gut-brain-microbiota axis, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that includes behavioral, molecular, immunological, and neuroanatomical approaches.
Research Profile
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
0000-0002-4133-423X
Publications
2022
A Novel Organ-Specific Approach to Selectively Target Sensory Afferents Innervating the Aortic Arch.
Frontiers in physiology.
13
[DOI] 10.3389/fphys.2022.841078.
[PMID] 35399269.
2022
Conditioned social preference and reward value of activating oxytocin-receptor-expressing ventral tegmental area neurons following repeated daily binge ethanol intake.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
46(2):194-206
[DOI] 10.1111/acer.14769.
[PMID] 34964139.
2022
Oxytocin and cardiometabolic interoception: Knowing oneself affects ingestive and social behaviors.
Appetite.
175
[DOI] 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106054.
[PMID] 35447163.
2022
Targeting angiotensin type-2 receptors located on pressor neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract to relieve hypertension in mice.
Cardiovascular research.
118(3):883-896
[DOI] 10.1093/cvr/cvab085.
[PMID] 33723600.
2021
An Angiotensin-Responsive Connection from the Lamina Terminalis to the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus Evokes Vasopressin Secretion to Increase Blood Pressure in Mice.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
41(7):1429-1442
[DOI] 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1600-20.2020.
[PMID] 33328294.
2021
Central and peripheral GLP-1 systems independently suppress eating
Nature Metabolism.
3(2):258-273
[DOI] 10.1038/s42255-021-00344-4.
[PMID] 33589843.
2021
Early-life oxytocin attenuates the social deficits induced by caesarean-section delivery in the mouse
Neuropsychopharmacology.
[DOI] 10.1038/s41386-021-01040-3.
[PMID] 34040156.
2021
Identification of Novel Cross-Talk between the Neuroendocrine and Autonomic Stress Axes Controlling Blood Pressure.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
41(21):4641-4657
[DOI] 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0251-21.2021.
[PMID] 33858944.
2020
Enduring Behavioral Effects Induced by Birth by Caesarean Section in the Mouse.
Current biology : CB.
30(19):3761-3774.e6
[DOI] 10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.044.
[PMID] 32822606.
2020
Mid-life microbiota crises: middle age is associated with pervasive neuroimmune alterations that are reversed by targeting the gut microbiome
Molecular Psychiatry.
25(10):2567-2583
[DOI] 10.1038/s41380-019-0425-1.
2020
Overexpression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 reduces anxiety-like behavior in female mice.
Physiology & behavior.
224
[DOI] 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113002.
[PMID] 32525008.
2019
An anti-CRF antibody suppresses the HPA axis and reverses stress-induced phenotypes
Journal of Experimental Medicine.
216(11):2479-2491
[DOI] 10.1084/jem.20190430.
[PMID] 31467037.
2019
Pretreatment with a CRF antagonist amplifies feeding inhibition induced by fourth ventricular cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide.
BMC neuroscience.
20(1)
[DOI] 10.1186/s12868-019-0494-8.
[PMID] 30885137.
2018
Fourth ventricular thyrotropin induces satiety and increases body temperature in rats.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
314(5):R734-R740
[DOI] 10.1152/ajpregu.00107.2017.
[PMID] 29351420.
2017
A closer look at the subordinate population within the visible burrow system.
Physiology & behavior.
178:110-116
[DOI] 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.01.039.
[PMID] 28130085.
2017
Revisiting Metchnikoff: Age-related alterations in microbiota-gut-brain axis in the mouse.
Brain, behavior, and immunity.
65:20-32
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.02.004.
[PMID] 28179108.
2017
Stress coping style does not determine social status, but influences the consequences of social subordination stress.
Physiology & behavior.
178:126-133
[DOI] 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.12.041.
[PMID] 28069459.
2017
Susceptibility or resilience? Prenatal stress predisposes male rats to social subordination, but facilitates adaptation to subordinate status.
Physiology & behavior.
178:117-125
[DOI] 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.006.
[PMID] 28284881.
2016
MicroRNAs as biomarkers for major depression: a role for let-7b and let-7c.
Translational psychiatry.
6(8)
[DOI] 10.1038/tp.2016.131.
[PMID] 27483380.
2016
Transferring the blues: Depression-associated gut microbiota induces neurobehavioural changes in the rat.
Journal of psychiatric research.
82:109-18
[DOI] 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.07.019.
[PMID] 27491067.
2015
Adipocyte glucocorticoid receptors mediate fat-to-brain signaling.
Psychoneuroendocrinology.
56:110-9
[DOI] 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.03.008.
[PMID] 25808702.
2015
Chronic P-glycoprotein inhibition increases the brain concentration of escitalopram: potential implications for treating depression.
Pharmacology research & perspectives.
3(6)
[DOI] 10.1002/prp2.190.
[PMID] 27022464.
2015
Fourth ventricular CART peptide induces c-fos in the area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract via a CRF-receptor dependent mechanism.
Neuroscience letters.
609:124-8
[DOI] 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.10.028.
[PMID] 26475505.
2015
Thinking small: towards microRNA-based therapeutics for anxiety disorders.
Expert opinion on investigational drugs.
24(4):529-42
[DOI] 10.1517/13543784.2014.997873.
[PMID] 25566796.
2012
Amylin blunts hyperphagia and reduces weight and fat gain during recovery in socially stressed rats.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
303(6):R676-82
[DOI] 10.1152/ajpregu.00090.2012.
[PMID] 22832535.
2012
Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Obesity.
Current obesity reports.
1(1):16-25
[PMID] 22943039.
2011
Blood-borne angiotensin II acts in the brain to influence behavioral and endocrine responses to psychogenic stress.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
31(42):15009-15
[DOI] 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0892-11.2011.
[PMID] 22016534.
2011
Central angiotensin II has catabolic action at white and brown adipose tissue.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism.
301(6):E1081-91
[DOI] 10.1152/ajpendo.00307.2011.
[PMID] 21862725.
2011
Obesity/hyperleptinemic phenotype adversely affects hippocampal plasticity: effects of dietary restriction.
Physiology & behavior.
104(2):235-41
[DOI] 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.020.
[PMID] 21036186.
2010
Acute exposure to a high-fat diet alters meal patterns and body composition.
Physiology & behavior.
99(1):33-9
[DOI] 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.10.004.
[PMID] 19835896.
2010
Glucose parameters are altered in mouse offspring produced by assisted reproductive technologies and somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Biology of reproduction.
83(2):220-7
[DOI] 10.1095/biolreprod.109.082826.
[PMID] 20445127.
2010
Meal patterns and hypothalamic NPY expression during chronic social stress and recovery.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
299(3):R813-22
[DOI] 10.1152/ajpregu.00820.2009.
[PMID] 20610828.
2009
Role of dorsomedial hypothalamic neuropeptide Y in modulating food intake and energy balance.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
29(1):179-90
[DOI] 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4379-08.2009.
[PMID] 19129396.
2008
Angiotensin type 1 receptors in the subfornical organ mediate the drinking and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response to systemic isoproterenol.
Endocrinology.
149(12):6416-24
[DOI] 10.1210/en.2008-0477.
[PMID] 18687780.
2008
Characterization of the feeding inhibition and neural activation produced by dorsomedial hypothalamic cholecystokinin administration.
Neuroscience.
152(1):178-88
[DOI] 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.12.004.
[PMID] 18248910.
2007
Leptin activates hypothalamic acetyl-CoA carboxylase to inhibit food intake.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
104(44):17358-63
[PMID] 17956983.
2007
The GLP-1 agonist exendin-4 reduces food intake in nonhuman primates through changes in meal size.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
293(3):R983-7
[PMID] 17581835.
2006
Lateral ventricular ghrelin and fourth ventricular ghrelin induce similar increases in food intake and patterns of hypothalamic gene expression.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
290(6):R1565-9
[PMID] 16424082.
2006
Postnatal behavioral and physiological responses of piglets from gilts housed individually or in groups during gestation.
Journal of animal science.
84(3):757-66
[PMID] 16478968.
2005
Altered hypothalamic signaling and responses to food deprivation in rats fed a low-carbohydrate diet.
Obesity research.
13(10):1672-82
[PMID] 16286514.
2005
Dorsomedial hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor mediation of exercise-induced anorexia.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
288(6):R1800-5
[PMID] 15677523.
2005
Peptide YY(3-36) inhibits gastric emptying and produces acute reductions in food intake in rhesus monkeys.
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology.
288(2):R384-8
[PMID] 15388494.
2005
Running wheel activity prevents hyperphagia and obesity in Otsuka long-evans Tokushima Fatty rats: role of hypothalamic signaling.
Endocrinology.
146(4):1676-85
[PMID] 15625240.
2004
Differential roles for cholecystokinin a receptors in energy balance in rats and mice.
Endocrinology.
145(8):3873-80
[PMID] 15123537.
Grants
Mar 2023
ACTIVE
Angiotensin-sensitive neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract mediate social stress induced hypertension
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI
Sep 2022
ACTIVE
Leveraging vagal oxytocin receptors to understand cardiometabolic interoception
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL CTR FOR COMPLEM AND INTEGRATIVE HLT
Feb 2020
ACTIVE
Interrogating stress-relieving neural circuits to alleviate cardiovascular disease
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI
Education
Ph.D.
2012
·
University of Cincinnati
M.S.
2000
·
Purdue University
B.A.
1997
·
The Pennsylvania State University
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 294-8965
Emails:
- Business:
- karen.scott@ufl.edu
Addresses:
- Business Mailing:
-
PO Box 100487
GAINESVILLE FL 32610 - Business Street:
-
MBI L4-187
MBI L4-187
GAINESVILLE FL 326110001