Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsHanna Stevens, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of MedicineDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Titles
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Biography
Hanna Stevens joined the faculty of the Child Study Center in 2010. She is currently directing a program of research on model systems of early brain development. She is particularly interested in the impact of prenatal genetic and environmental factors on childhood behavioral problems and how early events in brain development relate to the onset of major mental illness, such as depression and schizophrenia, in adolescence and adulthood. The long term goals of her research program are to better understand the etiologies of child and adult mental illnesses and to improve outcomes for pregnant mothers affected by mood and anxiety disorders.
Dr. Stevens is also the associate training director of the Child Study Center's innovative psychiatry residency program. The Solnit Integrated Program provides psychiatrists-in-training with the opportunity to integrate general, child and research psychiatry across all stages of their career and will be a major pathway by which the next generation of academic leaders in child psychiatry are developed. See link below
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Assistant Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Child Study Center
- Discovery to Cure Internship
- Program in Neurodevelopment and Regeneration
- Yale Ventures
Education & Training
- Psychiatry Residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship
- Yale School of Medicine (2010)
- MD
- University of Illinois (2004)
- PhD
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Neuroscience (2003)
Research
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Overview
Prenatal stress and forebrain development
Growth factors and prenatal stress
Role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 in forebrain functioning
Growth factors and prenatal stress
Role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 in forebrain functioning
Medical Research Interests
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Child Psychiatry; Neurobiology
Public Health Interests
Child/Adolescent Health
ORCID
0000-0002-3906-0786
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Hanna Stevens's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Hanna Stevens's research output by year.
Flora Vaccarino, MD
Andrés S Martin, MD, PhD, MPH
Anna Szekely, MD
James Leckman, MD, PhD
Marya Shanabrough
Former YSMMichael Bloch, MD, MS
25Publications
457Citations
Publications
2026
Psychiatric risk implications from behavioral and neural effects of adolescent exposure to environmental insecticides: a systematic review of rodent studies
Chen M, Hing B, Taylor R, Stevens H. Psychiatric risk implications from behavioral and neural effects of adolescent exposure to environmental insecticides: a systematic review of rodent studies. Biological Psychiatry 2026, s0006-3223(26)01275-8. PMID: 42142799, PMCID: PMC13216887, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.05.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPsychiatric vulnerabilityNeural effectsRodent studiesRemodeling of brain circuitsDepression-relevant behaviorsSensitive neurodevelopmental periodMultiple neural systemsLong-term behavioral outcomesMonoaminergic signalingNeurodevelopmental periodLocomotor activityMemory impairmentPsychiatric riskPsychiatric outcomesBrain circuitsNeural mechanismsNeuropsychiatric disordersBehavioral regulationNeuroimmune changesNeural systemsBehavioral outcomesCognitive developmentAdolescent developmentSystematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal ExperimentationSystematic reviewComparative Analysis of Prenatal Stress Models: Placental and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mice
Dukle M, Fairbairn F, Maurer S, Grueter M, Baig A, Telles R, Stevens H. Comparative Analysis of Prenatal Stress Models: Placental and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mice. The Yale Journal Of Biology And Medicine 2026, 99: 127-141. PMID: 41918509, PMCID: PMC13023424, DOI: 10.59249/mhfp3728.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsChronic unpredictable stressRepeated restraint stressAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderAutism spectrum disorderNeurodevelopmental disordersUnpredictable stressFootshock stressPrenatal stressUnique effectsGABAergic gene expressionBrain GABAergic systemNeurodevelopmental outcomesRisk of neurodevelopmental disordersAttention-deficit/hyperactivityRestraint stressGABAergic systemPlacenta-brain axisPlacental immune functionSpectrum disorderAdaptation to stressDevelopmental disruptionMultiple mouse modelsEmbryonic day (E)12DisordersPregnant miceDeveloping Physician-Scientists Through Integrated Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical and Research Training Programs
Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Brown L, Martin A, Muhle R, Jacob S, Drury S, Bloch M, Grice D, Rogers C, Stevens H, Stroeh O, Szatmari P. Developing Physician-Scientists Through Integrated Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical and Research Training Programs. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry 2026 PMID: 41881301, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2026.03.013.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersAltmetricDisruption of DNA Repair as an Emerging Epigenetic Mechanism Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder
Kelvington B, Kim J, Banerjee S, Stevens H, Chow K, Abel T. Disruption of DNA Repair as an Emerging Epigenetic Mechanism Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder. Current Psychiatry Reports 2026, 28: 33. PMID: 42217058, PMCID: PMC13222229, DOI: 10.1007/s11920-026-01684-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDisruption of DNA repairDNA repairEpigenetic mechanismsEpigenetic regulationRegulation of DNA repairMechanisms of DNA repairASD-associated genesDNA repair machineryEpigenetic regulation of DNA repairChromatin remodelingGenetic studiesAutism spectrum disorderRepair machineryGene expressionDNADNA damageGenesNeurodegenerative diseasesCases of autism spectrum disorderSpectrum disorderPeripheral tissuesRecent advancesDisruptionMachinerySex differences
2025
Sex Specific Threshold Effects of Prenatal Stress on Striatal Microglia and Relevant Behaviors in Mice
Maurer S, Evans M, Dukle M, Kundu S, Dennis J, Ellerbroek R, Anema S, Roshko V, Stevens H. Sex Specific Threshold Effects of Prenatal Stress on Striatal Microglia and Relevant Behaviors in Mice. Archives Of Medical Research 2025, 57: 103364. PMID: 41422719, PMCID: PMC12928236, DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2025.103364.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsPrenatal stressNeurodevelopmental disordersStriatal microgliaStriatal-dependent behaviorsSaline injectionOffspring outcomesStriatal densityRestraint stressNeurobehavioral alterationsAdult offspringAltered behaviorRelevant behaviorsNo stressBehavioral changesMicroglia morphologyCD1 miceNeuroimmune cellsPregnant CD1 miceMaternal-fetal interfaceIL-6 injectionNeuroimmuneStress modelStressorsPlacental macrophagesEmbryonic dayReflections on the NIEHS Virtual Consortium funding mechanism (ViCTER) and what it has taught us about the future of transdisciplinary science
Veiga-Lopez A, Stevens H, Rand M, Tjalkens R, Henn B, Marsit C, Bernstein A, Bonner M, Hoffmann H, Meliker J. Reflections on the NIEHS Virtual Consortium funding mechanism (ViCTER) and what it has taught us about the future of transdisciplinary science. Toxicology 2025, 518: 154283. PMID: 40972998, PMCID: PMC12713344, DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2025.154283.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesEnvironmental Health SciencesUnited States National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesHealth SciencesPopulation-based researchEnvironmental health researchFunding mechanismsHealth researchHealth fieldEnvironmental health fieldResearch teamTransdisciplinary collaborationR01 grantsMultiple institutionsEpidemiologistsCollaborationCliniciansTeamTransdisciplinary scienceScientific advancesPlacental Igf1 overexpression sex-specifically impacts mouse placenta structure, altering offspring striatal development and behavior
Carver A, Fairbairn F, Taylor R, Boggarapu S, Kamau N, Gajmer A, Stevens H. Placental Igf1 overexpression sex-specifically impacts mouse placenta structure, altering offspring striatal development and behavior. Experimental Neurology 2025, 394: 115453. PMID: 40907731, PMCID: PMC12752707, DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115453.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsInsulin-like growth factor-1Striatal developmentNeurodevelopmental disordersBehavior relevant to neurodevelopmental disordersPlacenta structureIGF1 expressionGrowth factor-1Postnatal brain developmentPlacental influencesComplicated pregnanciesPlacental contributionPlacental functionPlacental biologyChild outcomesIGF1 productionBrain developmentPersistent changesFactor 1DisordersPreventive interventionsCell compositionSex-SpecificNeurodevelopmentEarly differencesMaleParental preconceptual α-cypermethrin exposure alters embryonic brain transcriptomics in mice: Implications for autism spectrum disorder and stress vulnerability
Hing B, Taylor R, Eliasen S, Stevens H. Parental preconceptual α-cypermethrin exposure alters embryonic brain transcriptomics in mice: Implications for autism spectrum disorder and stress vulnerability. NeuroToxicology 2025, 110: 181-196. PMID: 40744256, PMCID: PMC12501635, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2025.07.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAutism spectrum disorderStress vulnerabilitySpectrum disorderInhibition of BDNF signalingAberrant brain functionGenes associated with autismBDNF signalingBrain functionAdult C57BL6/J miceForebrainSynaptic processesBrain transcriptomeAutismDose-dependent effectC57BL6/J miceDisordersPotential contributionDNA damage signalling processesBiological processesParentsActivity of eIF4EWeighted gene correlation network analysisDorsal forebrainGene correlation network analysisParental exposureEffect of Maternal Dietary DHA and Prenatal Stress Mouse Model on Autistic-like Behaviors, Lipid Peroxidation Activity, and GABA Expression in Offspring Pups
Woo T, Ahmed N, Appenteng M, King C, Li R, Fritsche K, Sun G, Cui J, Will M, Maurer S, Stevens H, Beversdorf D, Greenlief C. Effect of Maternal Dietary DHA and Prenatal Stress Mouse Model on Autistic-like Behaviors, Lipid Peroxidation Activity, and GABA Expression in Offspring Pups. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences 2025, 26: 6730. PMID: 40724979, PMCID: PMC12295858, DOI: 10.3390/ijms26146730.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAutism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderBehavior, AnimalDietary SupplementsDisease Models, AnimalDocosahexaenoic AcidsFemalegamma-Aminobutyric AcidLipid PeroxidationMaleMiceMice, KnockoutPregnancyPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsSerotonin Plasma Membrane Transport ProteinsSocial BehaviorStress, PsychologicalConceptsAutism spectrum disorderChronic variable stressAutistic-like behaviorsRepetitive behaviorsSupplementation of docosahexaenoic acidGrooming behaviorDocosahexaenoic acid supplementationElevated plus maze testNon-stressful control conditionGenetic susceptibility to stressFrequency of grooming behaviorSerotonin transporter knockoutRepetitive grooming behaviorSocial approach testPlus maze testSocial preference behaviorDietary docosahexaenoic acidAutism-associated behaviorsOpen field testMaintenance of brain structureMale offspringStress mouse modelMouse modelSusceptibility to stressControlled diet conditionsMaternal α-cypermethrin and permethrin exert differential effects on fetal growth, placental morphology, and fetal neurodevelopment in mice
Elser B, Hing B, Eliasen S, Afrifa M, Meurice N, Rimi F, Chimenti M, Schulz L, Dailey M, Gibson-Corley K, Stevens H. Maternal α-cypermethrin and permethrin exert differential effects on fetal growth, placental morphology, and fetal neurodevelopment in mice. Toxicological Sciences 2025, 207: 91-108. PMID: 40517329, PMCID: PMC12448229, DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaf079.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsFetal growthGestational dayFetal developmentMaternal exposurePregnant CD1 miceGlutamate receptor signalingCorn oil vehicleType I pyrethroid permethrinFetal neurodevelopmentPlacental morphologyPlacental toxicityPlacental developmentCD1 miceExtracellular matrix remodelingOral gavageIndividual placentasOil vehicleDownregulation of genesReceptor signalingHuman studiesC-AMPNeurodevelopmentType I pyrethroidsType II pyrethroidsDorsal forebrain
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Solnit Integrated Residency Program
CommitteesMemberDetailsSteering Committeeactivity Yale Child Study Center
07/01/2011 - PresentCommitteesMemberDetailsPublic Affairs Committeeactivity Department of Psychiatry
07/01/2009 - 06/30/2010CommitteesRepresentativeDetailsGraduate Education Committee
Honors
honor Young Investigator Memorial Travel Award
12/04/2009National AwardAmerican College of NeuropsychopharmocologyDetailsUnited Stateshonor Robinson-Cunningham Award
10/29/2009National AwardAmerican Academy Child & Adolescent PsychiatryDetailsUnited Stateshonor Seymour Lustman Resident Research Award
06/12/2009Yale School of Medicine AwardDepartment of Psychiatry, Yale School of MedicineDetailsUnited Stateshonor Young Investigator Award
05/10/2009International AwardNARSADDetailsUnited Stateshonor Fellow
11/15/2007National AwardGroup for the Advancement of PsychiatryDetailsUnited States
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