Rate My Professor Karen Spencer

Professor Karen Spencer is a distinguished Professor and Director of Research within the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at St. Andrew's University. She concurrently holds the position of Co-Director of the Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences and leads the Mechanisms of Behaviour Research Group. Spencer's research is dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms that drive complex animal behaviours through a multi-disciplinary lens. Her work seamlessly integrates behavioural observations, physiological measurements, endocrine analyses, and neuroendocrine techniques, predominantly employing avian models in both natural field environments and controlled laboratory conditions.

Her scholarly contributions delve deeply into developmental programming and the lasting impacts of early-life adversity. Key areas of investigation include the influence of prenatal glucocorticoids on circadian clock gene expression and subsequent postnatal behaviours in Japanese quail, maternal effects on the transgenerational transfer of circadian clock genes, light-induced asymmetries in embryonic retinal development, and neurogenomic responses to acute social isolation in songbirds. Spencer has authored numerous high-impact publications, including "Acute social isolation alters neurogenomic state in songbird forebrain" (2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), "Light-induced asymmetries in embryonic retinal gene expression are mediated by the vascular system and extracellular matrix" (2022, Scientific Reports), "Pre-natal exposure to glucocorticoids causes changes in developmental circadian clock gene expression and post-natal behaviour in the Japanese quail" (2024, Hormones and Behavior), and "Maternal developmental history alters transfer of circadian clock genes to offspring in Japanese quail" (2024, Journal of Comparative Physiology A). Her research has been cited over 3,500 times and supports UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and energy. Spencer has secured funding from the Wellcome Trust, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Scottish Funding Council for projects on seabird health, environmental chemical impacts, and sustainable guinea fowl production. She was honoured with the 2007 BA Charles Darwin Award Lecture and has served on the editorial board of Biology Letters since 2011.