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EMAIL sk2128@cam.ac.uk
College Trinity College
Department
  • Psychiatry
  • Medicine
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    ORCID iDClick to view ORCID profile
    Research Theme Lifelong Brain Development and Brain Ageing

    Other Interdiciplinary Incentives

  • 69

    • Research Focus

    Keywords

  • Early Life Adversity
  • Epigenetics
  • Mood Disorders
  • Biomarkers
  • Animal Models

    • Clinical Conditions

  • Depressive disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Addiction
  • Stress

    • Equipment & Techniques

  • Behavioural analysis
  • Cell culture
  • Confocal microscopy
  • Cross-sectional and cohort studies
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Randomised control trials

    • Science Culture

  • Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
  • Public Outreach
  • Women in Neuroscience

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    Stacey Kigar

    University Position
    Research Associate

    Interests

    I work at the interface of molecular biology, neuroimmunology, and psychiatry to reveal mechanistic underpinnings of stress susceptibility and resilience. I seek to understand why some individuals are more adversely affected by stress than others using a translational approach that capitalizes on my proficiency in both animal models and analysis of clinical biomarkers. My research specifically focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which early life stress is ‘encoded’ in the body given its well-known association with adult-onset psychopathologies. The ultimate goal for this work is to identify new therapeutic targets and diagnostic tools that will help people suffering from mental health disorders.

    Collaborators

    Cambridge
  • Mary-Ellen Lynall
  • Camilla Nord
  • Karen Ersche
  • Maura Malpetti
  • John O'Brien
  • Eric Miska
    • External
  • Vaishali P Bakshi
  • Anthony P Auger

    • Associated News Items

    Key Publications

    Blood-based immunophenotyping of T cell profiles in patients with neurodegenerative disorders

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.19.25336156
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 24 Sep 2025
    Authors: F Malichova, P Swann, SL Kigar, NS Yarkoni, J Goddard, L Chouliaras, A Surendranathan, L Turner, G Savulich, R Bevan-Jones, NJ Ashton, K Blennow, H Zetterberg, E Needham, J Jones, WA McEwan, JB Rowe, JT O’Brien, M Malpetti

    Chronic social defeat stress induces meningeal neutrophilia via type I interferon signaling in male mice.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62840-5
    Journal: Nat Commun
    E-pub date: 1 Sep 2025
    Authors: SL Kigar, M-E Lynall, AE DePuyt, R Atkinson, VH Sun, JD Samuels, NE Eassa, CN Poffenberger, ML Lehmann, SJ Listwak, F Livak, AG Elkahloun, MR Clatworthy, ET Bullmore, M Herkenham

    B-cells are abnormal in psychosocial stress and regulate meningeal myeloid cell activation.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.08.002
    Journal: Brain Behav Immun
    E-pub date: 1 Oct 2021
    Authors: M-E Lynall, SL Kigar, ML Lehmann, AE DePuyt, ZK Tuong, SJ Listwak, AG Elkahloun, ET Bullmore, M Herkenham, MR Clatworthy

    Decoding microglia responses to psychosocial stress reveals blood-brain barrier breakdown that may drive stress susceptibility.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28737-8
    Journal: Sci Rep
    E-pub date: 26 Jul 2018
    Authors: ML Lehmann, TK Weigel, HA Cooper, AG Elkahloun, SL Kigar, M Herkenham

    Publications

    Peripheral expression of dopamine genes as a biomarker for cocaine addiction in humans.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1159/000551119
    Journal: Eur Addict Res
    E-pub date: 1 Aug 2026
    Authors: S Kigar, TV Lim, L Turner, ET Bullmore, KD Ersche

    Peripheral Treg-monocyte immune signatures relate to neurodegeneration and prognosis in patients with primary tauopathies

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.17.26348492
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 21 Mar 2026
    Authors: KO Lai, J Goddard, H Crook, R Frohn, SL Kigar, NS Yarkoni, P Swann, R Durcan, J Wiggins, W Li, H Paula, T Rittman, A Heslegrave, JB Rowe, M Brendel, H Zetterberg, J Priller, JT O’Brien, M Malpetti

    Inflammatory profiles of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions in healthy females

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101146
    Journal: Brain Behav Immun Health
    E-pub date: 1 Dec 2025
    Authors: AJ Smith, S Kigar, Q Dercon, M-E Lynall, K Ioannidis, M Kaser, C Hitchcock, T Dalgleish, CL Nord

    Immune Profiling in Early Cognitive Disorders (IMPRINT) study protocol: a longitudinal cohort study exploring biomarkers of inflammation in early dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease, as part of the Dementias Platform UK.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107399
    Journal: BMJ Open
    E-pub date: 21 Nov 2025
    Authors: H Crook, P Swann, H Fye, S Kigar, G Savulich, A Mckeever, E Herrero, L Turner, L Aimola, GD Grey, D Blackburn, PM Matthews, L Su, L Chouliaras, JB Rowe, P Malhotra, JT O'Brien

    Inflammatory profiles of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions in healthy females

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.13.688353
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 18 Nov 2025
    Authors: AJ Smith, S Kigar, Q Dercon, M-E Lynall, K Ioannidis, M Kaser, C Hitchcock, T Dalgleish, C Nord

    Peripheral innate immunophenotype in neurodegenerative disease: blood-based profiles and links to survival.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02809-w
    Journal: Mol Psychiatry
    E-pub date: 1 May 2025
    Authors: A Strauss, P Swann, SL Kigar, R Christou, N Savinykh Yarkoni, L Turner, AG Murley, L Chouliaras, N Shapiro, NJ Ashton, G Savulich, WR Bevan-Jones, A Surendranthan, K Blennow, H Zetterberg, JT O'Brien, JB Rowe, M Malpetti

    Chronic social defeat stress induces meningeal neutrophilia via type I interferon signaling

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.30.610447
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 31 Aug 2024
    Authors: SL Kigar, M-E Lynall, AE DePuyt, R Atkinson, VH Sun, JD Samuels, NE Eassa, CN Poffenberger, ML Lehmann, SJ Listwak, F Livak, AG Elkahloun, MR Clatworthy, ET Bullmore, M Herkenham

    Brain, behavior, and physiological changes associated with predator stress-An animal model for trauma exposure in adult and neonatal rats.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2024.1322273
    Journal: Front Mol Neurosci
    E-pub date: 1 Aug 2024
    Authors: SL Kigar, A Cuarenta, CL Zuniga, L Chang, AP Auger, VP Bakshi

    Hot metacognition: poorer metacognitive efficiency following acute but not traumatic stress.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02840-z
    Journal: Transl Psychiatry
    E-pub date: 4 Mar 2024
    Authors: AJ Smith, JA Bisby, Q Dercon, A Bevan, SL Kigar, M-E Lynall, T Dalgleish, C Hitchcock, CL Nord

    Peripheral innate immunophenotype in neurodegenerative disease: blood-based profiles and links to survival

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.16.24301348
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 19 Jan 2024
    Authors: A Strauss, P Swann, S Kigar, R Christou, NS Yarkoni, A Murley, L Chouliaras, G Savulich, R Bevan-Jones, A Surendranthan, J O’Brien, J Rowe, M Malpetti

    DNA topoisomerase Top3β is impacted by early life stress in the developing female and male rat brain.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148339
    Journal: Brain Res
    E-pub date: 15 Jun 2023
    Authors: A Cuarenta, SL Kigar, AP Keese, SE Guagliardo, L Chang, VP Bakshi, AP Auger

    CCR2 monocytes repair cerebrovascular damage caused by chronic social defeat stress.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2022.01.011
    Journal: Brain Behav Immun
    E-pub date: 1 Mar 2022
    Authors: ML Lehmann, JD Samuels, SL Kigar, CN Poffenberger, ML Lotstein, M Herkenham

    DNA Topoisomerase Top3β Is Impacted by Early Life Stress in the Developing Female and Male Rat Brain

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4237251
    Journal:
    E-pub date: 1 Jan 2022
    Authors: A Cuarenta, SL Kigar, AP Keese, S Guagliardo, L Chang, VP Bakshi, AP Auger

    Early life stress during the neonatal period alters social play and Line1 during the juvenile stage of development.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82953-3
    Journal: Sci Rep
    E-pub date: 11 Feb 2021
    Authors: A Cuarenta, SL Kigar, IC Henion, L Chang, VP Bakshi, AP Auger

    Early life stress increases Line1 within the developing brain in a sex-dependent manner.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147123
    Journal: Brain Res
    E-pub date: 1 Dec 2020
    Authors: A Cuarenta, SL Kigar, IC Henion, KE Karls, L Chang, VP Bakshi, AP Auger

    Early life stress alters opioid receptor mRNA levels within the nucleus accumbens in a sex-dependent manner.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2018.12.040
    Journal: Brain Res
    E-pub date: 1 May 2019
    Authors: L Chang, SL Kigar, JH Ho, A Cuarenta, HC Gunderson, BA Baldo, VP Bakshi, AP Auger

    N6-methyladenine is an epigenetic marker of mammalian early life stress.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18414-7
    Journal: Sci Rep
    E-pub date: 22 Dec 2017
    Authors: SL Kigar, L Chang, CR Guerrero, JR Sehring, A Cuarenta, LL Parker, VP Bakshi, AP Auger

    Contributions of the adaptive immune system to mood regulation: Mechanisms and pathways of neuroimmune interactions.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.09.003
    Journal: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
    E-pub date: 3 Oct 2017
    Authors: M Herkenham, SL Kigar

    Sex differences in Gadd45b expression and methylation in the developing rodent amygdala.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.031
    Journal: Brain Res
    E-pub date: 1 Jul 2016
    Authors: SL Kigar, L Chang, MR Hayne, NT Karls, AP Auger

    Gadd45b is an epigenetic regulator of juvenile social behavior and alters local pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the rodent amygdala.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2015.02.018
    Journal: Brain Behav Immun
    E-pub date: 1 May 2015
    Authors: SL Kigar, L Chang, AP Auger

    Epigenetic mechanisms may underlie the aetiology of sex differences in mental health risk and resilience.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12074
    Journal: J Neuroendocrinol
    E-pub date: 1 Nov 2013
    Authors: SL Kigar, AP Auger