Karen-Anne McVey Neufeld
Assistant Professor
Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Biomedical Sciences
BSc, PhD (McMaster)
Profile
Dr. Karen-Anne McVey Neufeld is a neuroscientist who obtained her training from McMaster University and the University College Cork in Ireland. Her research focuses on the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its role in brain and gastrointestinal function, with an emphasis on vagal nerve signalling. Her laboratory uses electrophysiology, ex vivo gut motility recording, molecular biology and behavioural neuroscience techniques. Karen-Anne is particularly interested in animal models of early life stress and adversity occurring during critical windows of neurodevelopment as a tool to understand etiology of highly co-morbid psychiatric and gastrointestinal diseases. Her work aims to uncover novel pathways for the development of therapeutics, targeting both peripheral and central dysfunction.
Research Interests
Using animal models, ex vivo electrophysiology and gut motility recording, molecular biology techniques and behavioural tests to study the mechanisms of microbiota-gut-brain axis communication
Impact of early life and adolescent stress on function of the gut-brain axis
Function of the enteric nervous system and vagal nerve signalling in gut-brain communication
Role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in brain development and pathogenesis of psychiatric disease
Development of microbial, gut-based therapies to treat brain disorders
Selected Publications
McVey Neufeld SF, Ahn M, Kunze WA, McVey Neufeld KA (2024) Adolescence, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and the emergence of psychiatric disorders. Biological Psychiatry, 95:310-8
Champagne-Jorgensen, McVey Neufeld KA (2024) The role of the microbiome and the gut-brain axis in neurodevelopment and mental health. In: The Oxford Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Cohen Kadosh K (ed), Oxford University Press
McVey Neufeld KA, Mao YK, West C, Stanisz AM, Barbut D, Forsythe PM, Zasloff MA, Kunze WA (2024) Squalamine reverses age-associated changes of firing patterns of myenteric sensory neurons and vagal fibres. Communications Biology, 7:80
West CL, McVey Neufeld KA, Mao YK, Stanisz AM, Forsythe P, Bienenstock J, Barbut D, Zasloff M, Kunze WA (2021) Identification of SSRI-evoked antidepressant sensory signals by decoding vagus nerve activity. Scientific Reports, 11:21130
Liu Y, Sanderson D, Mian MF, McVey Neufeld KA, Forsythe P (2021) Loss of vagal integrity disrupts immune components of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and inhibits the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on behavior and the corticosterone stress response. Neuropharmacology, 195:108682
West C, McVey Neufeld KA (2021) Animal models of visceral pain and the role of the microbiome. Neurobiology of Pain, 10:100064
McVey Neufeld KA, Strain CR, Pusceddu MM, Waworuntu RV, Manurung S, Gross G, Moloney G, Hoban AE, Murphy K, Stanton C, Dinan TG, Cryan JF, O’Mahony SM (2020) Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG soluble mediators ameliorate early life stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity and changes in spinal cord gene expression. Neuronal Signaling, 4:NS20200007
Liu Y, Steinhausen K, Bharwani A, Mian F, McVey Neufeld KA, Forsythe P (2020) Increased persistence of avoidance behaviour and social deficits with L. rhamnosus JB-1 or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment following social defeat. Scientific Reports, 10:13485
McVey Neufeld KA, Bienenstock J, Bharwani A, Champagne-Jorgensen K, Mao Y, West C, Liu Y, Surette MG, Kunze W, Forsythe P (2019) Oral selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors activate vagus nerve dependent gut-brain signalling. Scientific Reports, 9:14290
McVey Neufeld KA, O’Mahony SM, Hoban AE, Waworuntu R, Berg B, Dinan TG, Cryan JF (2019) Neurobehavioural effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG alone and in combination with prebiotics polydextrose and galactooligosaccharide in rats exposed to early life stress. Nutritional Neuroscience, 22:425-34
Champagne-Jorgensen K, Kunze WA, Forsythe P, Bienenstock J, McVey Neufeld KA (2019) Antibiotics and the nervous system: More than just the microbes? Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 77:7-15
McVey Neufeld KA, Kay S, Bienenstock J (2018) Mouse strain affects behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responses following administration of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 or traditional antidepressant fluoxetine. Frontiers Neuroscience, 12:294
West C, Wu RY, Wong A, Stanisz AM, Yan R, Min KK, Pasyk M, McVey Neufeld KA, Karamat MI, Foster JA, Bienenstock J, Forsythe P, Kunze WA (2017) Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 reverses restraint stress-induced gut dysmotility. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 29
McVey Neufeld KA, Luczynski P, Seira-Oriach C, Dinan TG, Cryan JF (2016) What’s bugging your teen? – The microbiota and adolescent mental health. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 70:300-12
McVey Neufeld KA, Perez-Burgos A, Mao YK, Bienenstock J, Kunze WA (2015) The gut microbiome restores intrinsic and extrinsic nerve function in germ-free mice accompanied by changes in calbindin. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 27:627-36
Foster JA, McVey Neufeld KA (2013) Gut-brain axis: how the microbiome influences anxiety and depression. Trends in Neuroscience, 36:305-12
McVey Neufeld KA, Mao YK, Bienenstock J, Foster JA, Kunze WA (2013) The microbiome is essential for normal gut intrinsic primary afferent neuron excitability in the mouse. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 25:183-e88
Neufeld KM, Kang N, Bienenstock J, Foster JA (2011) Reduced anxiety-like behaviour and central neurochemical change in germ-free mice. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 23:255-64