Research in the Connelly lab is focused on the dissection of complex phenotypes and human disease at the level of transcription and epigenetic regulation. Our current projects seek to understand the relationship between DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor and individual differences in behavior in humans and model systems.

Selected Publications

• Lancaster K, Goldbeck L, Puglia MH, Morris JP, & Connelly JJ. (2018). DNA methylation of OXTR is associated with parasympathetic nervous system activity and amygdala morphology. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. In press
• Perkeybile AM, Carter CS, Wroblewski KL, Puglia MH, Kenkel WM, Lillard TS, Karaoli T, Gregory SG, Mohammadi N, Epstein L, Bales KL, & Connelly JJ. (2018) Early nurture epigenetically tunes the oxytocin receptor. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018 Aug 31;99:128-136.
• Puglia MH, Connelly JJ and Morris JP. (2018) Epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin receptor is associated with neural response during selective social attention. Translational Psychiatry. 8(1):116.
• Gonzalez MZ, Puglia MH, Morris JP, & Connelly JJ. (2017) Oxytocin receptor genotype and low economic privilege reverses ventral striatum-social anxiety association. Social Neuroscience. 17:1-13.