Toni-Lee Sterley

Toni is a postdoctoral associate. She completed her PhD at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, under the supervision of Dr Vivienne Russell. For her PhD, Toni studied how long-term behavioural and neurochemical effects of early life stress are influenced by genetic predisposition, specifically predisposition for ADHD or depression. As a postdoc, Toni’s research has focused on how stress can be transmitted between individuals and how the consequences of stress can be buffered by the presence of others. Her research has revealed a critical role for hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in transmission and buffering of stress. Toni continues to investigate the neural circuitry and mechanisms involved in social communication of stress, or negative affect, in mice. Her postdoc has been funded by the University of Calgary’s Eye’s High Fellowship, and the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Fellowship. Toni was recently awarded a SFARI Bridge to Independence Award which will allow her to investigate affective state communication in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder.

Check out a full list of Toni-Lee’s publications here.