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Kristen Kocher, Ph.D.

Research Postdoctoral Fellow

Kristen Kocher, Ph.D., joined the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) in December 2022 as a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development T32 Research Postdoctoral Fellow. Kristen studies the genomic and epigenomic signatures associated with perinatal stressors and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Prior to joining DBI, she obtained her doctorate in Genomics and Bioinformatics from The George Washington University. Kristen’s dissertation focused on using novel bioinformatic approaches to characterize the impact of fetal congenital heart disease and maternal psychological distress on the neonatal epigenome.



Address: 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Email: fetalbrain@childrensnational.org
Department: MRI Lab

Recent Publications

2022
Kocher K, Bhattacharya S, Bramble MS, Okitundu-Luwa D, Ngoyi DM, Tshala-Katumbay D, Vilain E.
DNA methylation patterns associated with konzo in Sub-Saharan Africa. Clin Epigenetics. 2022 Dec 19;14(1):179. doi: 10.1186/s13148-022-01372-x. PMID: 36536449; PMCID: PMC9764695.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36536449/
2021
Kocher K, Delot-Vilain A, Spencer D, LoTempio J, Délot EC.
Paucity and disparity of publicly available sex-disaggregated data for the COVID-19 epidemic hamper evidence-based decision-making. Arch Sex Behav. 2021 Feb;50(2):407-426. doi: 10.1007/s10508-020-01882-w. Epub 2021 Jan 4. PMID: 33398705
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33398705/
Haskins N, Bhuvanendran S, Anselmi C, Gams A, Kanholm T, Kocher KM, LoTempio J, Krohmaly KI, Sohai D, Stearrett N, Bonner E, Tuchman M, Morizono H, Jaiswal JK, Caldovic L.
Mitochondrial enzymes of the urea cycle cluster at the inner mitochondrial membrane. Front Physiol. 2021 Jan 21;11:542950. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.542950. PMID: 33551825
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33551825/

Poster Presentations

2022
“Determining genome-wide neonatal epigenetic changes associated with maternal, perinatal exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic.” American Society for Human Genetics Meeting. Los Angeles, CA. 2022.
“Newborn epigenetic markers associated with elevated stress from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Children’s National Research & Education Week. Washington, DC. 2022. Winner, Best Trainee Poster in Basic and Translational Research
“Characterization of neonatal epigenomic markers associated with elevated stress from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting. Denver, CO. 2022.
2021
“Characterization of neonatal epigenetic markers associated with elevated stress from the COVID-19 pandemic.” American Society for Human Genetics Meeting. Virtual Meeting. 2021.
“Differential patterns of DNA methylation are associated with stress during pregnancy.” Children’s National Research & Education Week. Virtual Meeting. 2021.