Biology
Carlita Favero
Professor of Biology
Our lab studies the impact of casual drinking during pregnancy on brain development in a mammalian model system (mice).
Carlita B. Favero, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biology and Neuroscience at Ursinus College. She received her B.S. in Biology and Elementary Education from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in the lab of James W. Mandell, Ph.D. and did a postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Noelle D. Dwyer, Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. She joined the Ursinus College Biology Department and Neuroscience program in 2010.
Dr. Favero’s lab studies the impact of drinking during pregnancy on brain development using a mammalian model system (mice). She is particularly interested in the effects on brain wiring that is important for sensory processing, attention, and vulnerability to substance use disorders. These studies help us understand the behavioral alterations evident in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
Department
Degrees
- B.S., College of William and Mary
- Ph.D., University of Virginia
Teaching
Fundamentals of Neuroscience
Cell Biology
Glial Cell Biology
Developmental Neurobiology
Common Intellectual Experience
Bio 300 Learning to Lead
Research Interests
Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on brain development
Recent Work
Sicher, A., Kiss, S., Springmann, P., Herrera, K., McElroy, A., Blake, K., Crocker, E., Jacob, C., Lefkove, M., Cramer, M., Henriksen, A., Novacek, J., Severa, J., Siberski, J., Thomas, E., Chi, P., & Favero, C. (2021). Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure increases total length of L1-expressing axons in E15.5 mice. Neurotoxicology and teratology, 85, 106962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106962
Hawkins, W., Goddard, K., & Favero, C. (2021). A Cocurricular Program That Encourages Specific Study Skills and Habits Improves Academic Performance and Retention of First-Year Undergraduates in Introductory Biology. CBE life sciences education, 20(1), ar4. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-06-0117
Mathews, E., Dewees, K., Diaz, D., & Favero, C. (2021). White matter abnormalities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Focus on axon growth and guidance. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.), 246(7), 812–821. https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370220980398