Research Interests:

•Genetic rodent models of developmental disability
•Rodent models of neonatal brain injury and developmental disability
•Modulating effects of hormones, experience, and neuroprotection using the above models

Lab Webpage and Undergraduate Research Application:

https://fitchlab.uconn.edu

Representative Publications (oldest to most recent):

1. Fitch, RH., Cowell, PE., & Denenberg, V. 1998. The female phenotype: Nature’s default? Developmental Neuropsychology, Special issue, S. Berenbaum (Ed.), 14, 213-231.
2. Fitch, R.H. & Tallal, P. 2003. Neural mechanisms of language based learning impairments: Insights from human populations and animal models. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 2 (3), 155 – 178.
3. Galaburda, A.M., LoTurco, J.L., Ramus, F., Fitch, R.H. & Rosen, G.D. 2006. From genes to behavior in developmental dyslexia. Nature Neuroscience, 9, 1213 – 1217.
4. Threlkeld, S.W., McClure, M.M., Bai, J., Wang, Y., LoTurco, J.J., Rosen, G.D., & Fitch, R.H. 2007. Developmental disruptions and behavioral impairments in rats following in utero RNAi of Dyx1c1. 2007. Brain Research Bulletin, 71, 508 – 514.
5. Fitch, R.H., Threlkeld, S.W., McClure, M.M. & Peiffer, A.M. 2008. Use of a modified prepulse inhibition paradigm to assess complex auditory discrimination in rodents. Brain Research Bulletin, 76, 1-7.
6. Threlkeld, S.W., Hill, C.A., Rosen, G.D. & Fitch, R.H. 2009. Early acoustic discrimination experience ameliorates auditory processing deficits in male rats with cortical developmental disruption. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 27(4), 321-328.
7. Szalkowski, C.E. Hinman, J, Threlkeld, S.W., Wang, Y., LePack, A., Rosen, G.D, Chrobak, J.J, LoTurco, J. & Fitch, R.H. 2011. Persistent spatial working memory deficits in rats following in utero RNAi of Dyx1c1. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 10, 244 – 252.
8. Hill, C.A. & Fitch, R.H. 2012. Sex differences in mechanisms and outcome of neonatal hypoxia ischemia in rodent models: Implications for sex-specific neuroprotection in clinical neonatal practice. Neurology Research International (special issue), 2012, Article ID 867531.
9. Szalkowski, C.E., Fiondella, C.G., Galaburda, A.M., Rosen, G.D., LoTurco, J.J., & Fitch, R.H. 2012. Neocortical disruption and behavioral impairments in rats following in utero RNAi of candidate dyslexia risk gene Kiaa0319. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 30, 293 – 302.
10. Alexander, M.L., Hill, C.A., Rosenkrantz, T. & Fitch, R.H. 2013. Evaluation of the therapeutic benefit of delayed administration of erythropoietin following early hypoxic ischemic injury in rodents. Developmental Neuroscience, 34, 515-24.
11. Szalkowski, C.E., Booker, A.B., Truong, D.T., Rosen, G.D., & Fitch R.H. 2013. Knockdown of the candidate dyslexia susceptibility gene homolog Dyx1c1 in rodents: Effects on rapid and complex auditory processing, visual attention, and cortical and thalamic anatomy. Developmental Neuroscience, 35 (1), 50-68.
12. Alexander, M.L., Smith, A.L., Rosenkrantz, T., and Fitch, R.H. 2013. Therapeutic effect of caffeine treatment immediately following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury on spatial memory in male rats. Special Issue Brain Sciences; Neuroprotection Against Brain Ischemia, 3, 177-190.
13. Fitch, R.H., Alexander, M. & Threlkeld, S.W. 2013. Early neural disruption and auditory processing outcomes in rodent models: Implications for developmental language disability. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, Special Issue, vol. 7, 00058.
14. Smith, AL, Alexander, ML, Rosencrantz, T, Fitch, RH. 2014. Sex differences in behavioral outcome following neonatal hypoxia ischemia: Insights from a clinical meta-analysis and a rodent model of induced hypoxic ischemic brain injury. Experimental Neurology, 254, 54-67.
15. Truong, DT, Che, A, Rendall, AR, Szalkowski, CE, LoTurco, JJ, Galaburda, A. & Fitch, RH. 2014. Mutation of Dcdc2 in mice leads to impairments in auditory processing and memory ability, Genes, Brain and Behavior, 13 (8), 802 – 811.
16. Rendall, A., Tarkar, T., Contreras-Mora, H.M., LoTurco, J.J. & Fitch, R.H. 2015. Deficits in learning and memory in mice with a mutation of Dyx1c1. Brain and Language, Special Issue, S0093-934X(15)00102-9.
17. Smith, A.L. , Garbus, H., Rosenkrantz, T. & Fitch, R.H. 2015. Sex differences in behavioral outcomes following temperature modulation during induced neonatal hypoxic ischemic injury in rats. Brain Sciences, Special Issue, 5 (2), 220 – 240.
18. Truong, DT , Rendall, A., Castellucio, B., Eigsti, IME, Fitch, R.H. 2015. Auditory processing anomalies in Cntnap2 mutant mice. Behavioral Neuroscience, 129 (6), 731 – 743.
19. Rendall, AR, Truong, DT, Fitch, RH. 2016. Learning Delays in a mouse model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behavioral Brain Research, 303, 201-207.
20. Rendall, A.R., Ford, A.L., Perrino, A.P. & Fitch, R.H. 2017. Auditory processing enhancements in the Ts2-neo mouse model of Timothy Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder associated with autism spectrum disorders. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 1 (3), 176 – 189.
21. Rendall AR, Perrino PA, LoTurco JJ, Fitch RH. 2017. Evaluation of visual motion perception ability in mice with knockout of the dyslexia candidate susceptibility gene Dcdc2. Genes Brain Behav, ePub ahead of print.
22. Potter, M., Rosenkrantz, T. & Fitch, R.H. Behavioral and neuroanatomical outcomes in a rat model of preterm hypoxic-ischemic brain Injury: Effects of caffeine and hypothermia, IJDN, ePub ahead of print.
23. Rendall, A., Perrino, P.A., Buscarello, A., Fitch, R.H. 2018. Shank3B mutant mice display pitch discrimination enhancements and learning deficits. IJDN, in press.
24. Perrino, PA., Fitch, R.H., Buscarello, A., Akhunzadeh, K., and Newbury, D. Auditory processing anomalies associated with the USH2A gene: A cross-species assessment. In preparation.

Other:

• Finalist, CTC Women of Innovation, Academic Innovation; 2014.
• CLAS Excellence in Teaching Award; 2012
• National Dyslexia Research Foundation Award for Distinguished Young Researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience; 1993.
• McDonnell-Pew Foundation, Cognitive Neuroscience Award; 1992.
• Rita Rudel Memorial Foundation Award for Outstanding Young Scientist in Neuropsychology; 1990.