Jared Schwartzer is a behavioral neuroscientist studying preclinical models of neurodevelopmental disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorders. He is particularly interested in understanding how genetic and environmental interactions alter the development of the brain to produce behavioral and cognitive deficits. Currently, Jared Schwartzer's research focuses on how changes in a pregnant mother’s immune system can affect the offspring’s social development and brain function. This work highlights the importance of a gene-environment interaction, such as genetic predisposition, when evaluating the adverse effects of environmental insults.
Before coming to Mount Holyoke, Jared Schwartzer was a postdoctoral fellow in the Autism Research Training Program at the University of California, Davis MIND Institute where he studied with leaders in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders. While at UC Davis, Jared Schwartzer taught an introductory seminar in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
As a doctoral student at Northeastern University, Jared Schwartzer was awarded a Lagerspetz Award for outstanding research from the International Society for Research on Aggression. More recently, he has received funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to explore the link between maternal allergies and asthma and its consequences on offspring brain and behavior development. His research has been published in journals such as Translational Psychiatry, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, and Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
The Schwartzer Lab
Ongoing research in the Schwartzer lab focuses on the growing field of immune-induced mental health by translating clinical observations into testable hypotheses. This work lies at the intersection of behavioral neuroscience, neuroimmunology, and biomedical research to identify how interactions between the immune system and nervous system throughout gestation shape offspring brain and behavior development. We employ a range of molecular and behavioral approaches to untangle the complex gene-environment interactions that lead to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders
Courses
- Psychopharmacology
- Statistics
- Clinical Neuroscience
- Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience
Selected Publications
Schwartzer J.J., Careaga M., Chang C., Onore C.E., Ashwood P. (2015) Allergic fetal priming leads to developmental, behavioral, and neurobiological changes in mice. Translational Psychiatry. 5, e543
Careaga M., Schwartzer J.J. , Ashwood P. (2015) Inflammatory profiles in the BTBR mouse: How relevant are they to Autism Spectrum Disorders? Brain, Behavior & Immunity. 43:11-6
Onore C.E. , Schwartzer J.J. , Careaga M. , Berman R.F. , Ashwood P. (2014) Maternal immune activation leads to activated inflammatory macrophages in offspring. Brain, Behavior & Immunity. 38:220-6
Schwartzer J.J. , Careaga M., Onore C.E., Rushakoff J.A., Berman J.A, Ashwood P. (2013) Maternal immune activation and strain specific interactions in the development of autism-like behaviors in mice. Translational Psychiatry. 3:e240
Schwartzer, J.J., Koenig, C.M., Berman, R.F. (2013) Using mouse models of autism spectrum disorders to study the neurotoxicology of gene-environment interactions. Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 36:17-35
Schwartzer, J.J., Ricci L.A., Melloni R.H., Jr. (2013) Prior fighting experience alters fighting ability in Syrian hamsters: Implications for a role of dopamine in the establishment of dominance. Aggressive Behavior. 39(4):290-300
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