NCMD Research Seminar Series 8th May 2026

Presenter: Dr Olga Burenkova, Behavioural Epigenetics Researcher, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University.

Presentation title: Epigenetic Pathways of Adversity: Bridging Animal Models and Human Studies.

Adverse experiences can leave lasting imprints on behaviour, stress regulation, and neurological health. In this talk, Dr Olga Burenkova explores how epigenetic mechanisms allow these life events to become biologically embedded over time. Drawing on evidence from both animal models and human studies, the presentation examines how social and environmental conditions shape physiological stress responses and markers of neural plasticity. Ultimately, these findings reveal how adversity carves biological pathways that influence lifelong wellbeing and provide critical context for research into mental health and brain disorders.

Dr Olga Burenkova is a behavioural epigenetics researcher investigating the hormonal and molecular mechanisms by which environment and experience shape the brain and behaviour. She completed her PhD at the P.K. Anokhin Research Institute, where she studied how early-life adversity and pharmacological interventions can drive neurobehavioral change through epigenetic modifications in mice. Her later research at the University of Houston and the University of Guelph expanded into human and zebrafish studies, with interests including epigenetics, stress biology, oxytocin, and
environmental enrichment. Using behavioural and molecular approaches, she explores how adversity can shape behavioural and neurobiological outcomes across the lifespan.

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