Dr. Sandra J. Kelly
Professor

Dr. Sandra Kelly received her Ph.D. from McGill University in behavioral neuroscience in 1985.  Her postdoctoral training was at the University of Iowa and SUNY Albany pior to beginning as an assistant professor here at the University of South Carolina in 1988. Her research uses a rat model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders to investigate the impact of alcohol exposure during development on social behavior and the underlying brain changes. Her recent publications have show that there are changes in the neuronal activation and structure of neurons in areas such as the nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Very recent work has demonstrated that alcohol exposure during development impacts epigenetic markers which could underlie the long-term changes seen in this animal model. In addition to the work on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Dr. Kelly has recently started a new line of research using Peromyscus mice to examining the neurogenomic bases of monogamy. Dr. Kelly uses state-of-the-art tests of animal behavior, neuroanatomical techniques, and neurochemical assays to answer her research questions.

Recent Publications
Lawrence, R. C., Bonner, H. C., Newsom, R. J. and Kelly, S. J. (2007) Effects of alcohol exposure during development on play behavior and c-Fos expression in response to play behavior. Behavioural Brain Research 188: 209-218.

Gass, J. T., Jenkins, W. J., Marino, M. D., Lugo, Jr., J. N. And Kelly, S. J. (2007) Alcohol exposure during development: Analysis of effects on female sexual behavior. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31: 2065-2072.

Kelly, S. J., Leggett, D., and Cronise, K. (2009) Sexually dimorphic effects of alcohol exposure during development on processing of social cues. Alcohol and Alcoholism 4: 555 - 560.

Kelly, S. J., Goodlett, C. R., and Hannigan, J. H. (2009) Animal models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Impact of the social environment. Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews 15: 200-208.

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