Gonville & Caius College
Gates Cambridge Scholar
PhD thesis title: The evolution of postmenopausal longevity and the preservation of cognitive function
Postdoctoral Research: Identifying individual gorillas via faecal DNA extraction from an habituated gorilla population involved in the first-ever measles vaccine trial in a great ape.
Supervisor:
Leslie A. Knapp, PhD
Click on article title to download PDF
Molly Fox. How demographics and concerns about the Trump administration relate to prenatal mental health among Latina women. Social Science and Medicine. Online ahead of print. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115171
Hanadi Ajam Oughli, Sarah Nguyen, Prabha Siddarth, Molly Fox, Michaela Milillo, Helen Lavretsky. (2022) The Effect of Cumulative Lifetime Estrogen Exposure on Cognition in Depressed versus Non-Depressed Older Women. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. online ahead of print. doi: 10.1177/08919887221090216.
Molly Fox. Evolutionary Perspectives on Alzheimer’s Disease. (2022) In: Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health, edited by Dr Riadh Abed and Dr Paul St John-Smith. Cambridge University Press. [book chapter, in press]
☆Molly Fox and Kyle S. Wiley. (2022) How a pregnant woman’s relationships with her siblings relate to her mental health: a prenatal allocare perspective. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. 10(1), 1–20, https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoab044
Molly Fox, Prabha Siddarth, Hanadi Ajam Oughli, Sarah A Nguyen, Michaela M Milillo, Yesenia Aguilar, Linda Ercoli, Helen Lavretsky. (2022) Women who breastfeed exhibit cognitive benefits after age 50. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. 9(1):322-31
Molly Fox, S. Melanie Lee, Kyle S. Wiley, Venu Lagishetty, Curt A. Sandman, Jonathan P. Jacobs, Laura M. Glynn. (2021) Development of the infant gut microbiome predicts temperament across the first year of life. Development and Psychopathology. In press doi:10.1017/S0954579421000456
Molly Fox. (2021) Discrimination as a moderator of the effects of acculturation and cultural values on mental health among pregnant and postpartum Latina women. American Anthropologist. 123(4), 780-804.
Molly Fox, Delaney A. Knorr, Kacey M. Haptonstall. (2019) Alzheimer's disease and symbiotic microbiota: an evolutionary medicine perspective. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1449(1):3-24. DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14129
Molly Fox. (2018) ‘Evolutionary medicine' perspectives on Alzheimer's Disease: Review and new directions. Aging Research Reviews. 47 (2018) 140-148, doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.07.008
Molly Fox, Carlo Berzuini, Leslie A. Knapp, Laura M. Glynn. (2018) Women's pregnancy life-history and Alzheimer's risk: can immunoregulation explain the link? American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias. doi: 10.1177/1533317518786447
Laura M. Glynn, Mariann A. Howland, Molly Fox. (2018) Maternal programming: Application of a developmental psychopathology perspective. Development and Psychopathology. 30 (2018), 905–919. http://bit.ly/maternalprogramming
Molly Fox, Zaneta M. Thayer, Isabel F. Ramos, Sarah J. Meskal, Pathik D. Wadhwa. (2018). Prenatal and Postnatal Mother-to-Child Transmission of Acculturation’s Health Effects in Hispanic Americans. Journal of Women's Health. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6526. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jwh.2017.6526
Molly Fox, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn. (2018) A longitudinal study of women's depression symptom profiles during and after the postpartum phase. Depression and Anxiety. 2018:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22719
*Molly Fox, Zaneta Thayer, Pathik D. Wadhwa. (2017) Acculturation and Health: The Moderating Role of Sociocultural Context. American Anthropologist. 119(3): 405–421.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aman.12867/abstract
Molly Fox, Laura M. Glynn. (2017) Fetal programming of gender. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender. K Nadal, Ed. SAGE Publications, Inc.: Thousand Oaks. Link to Full Text
Molly Fox, Zaneta Thayer, Pathik D. Wadhwa. (2017) Assessment of acculturation in minority health research. Social Science & Medicine. 176: 123-132.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617300369
Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Molly Fox, Laura Glynn. (2016) Demonstration of Elevated Cerebrospinal Fluid CRH Levels during Pregnancy Provides Support for (Not Against) the Link between CRH and Postpartum Depression. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 101(2):L5-6
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2015-3798
Molly Fox, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn. (2015) Intra-individual consistency in endocrine profiles across successive pregnancies. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 100 (12): 4637-4647.
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/10.1210/jc.2015-2620
Molly Fox, Sonja Entringer, Claudia Buss, Jessica DeHaene, Pathik Wadhwa. (2015) Intergenerational transmission of the effects of acculturation on health in Hispanic Americans: a fetal/developmental programming perspective. American Journal of Public Health. 105(S3): S409-S423.
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302571
depression and the antidepressant response. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 51, 164–188.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763415000287
Molly Fox, Carlo Berzuini, Leslie A. Knapp. (2013) Cumulative estrogen exposure, number of menstrual cycles, and Alzheimer's risk in a cohort of British women. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 38(12), 2973–2982. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.08.005.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453013002941
Molly Fox, Corey L. Fincher, Paul W. Andrews, Leslie A. Knapp. (2013) Hygiene and the world distribution of Alzheimer’s Disease. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. doi: 10.1093/emph/eot015.
http://emph.oxfordjournals.org/content/2013/1/173
Molly Fox, Carlo Berzuini, Leslie A. Knapp. (2013) Maternal breastfeeding history and Alzheimer’s risk. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 37 (4), 809-821. doi: 10.3233/JAD-130152
http://iospress.metapress.com/content/gr8353774g62515l/
Molly Fox, Johannes Johow, Leslie A. Knapp. (2011) The Selfish Grandma Gene: The Roles of the X- Chromosome and Paternity Uncertainty in the Evolution of Grandmothering Behavior and Longevity. International Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 2011, Article ID 165919, 9 pages.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21716697
Johannes Johow, Molly Fox, Leslie A. Knapp, Eckart Voland (2011). The presence of a paternal grandmother lengthens interbirth interval following the birth of a granddaughter in Krummhörn (18th and 19th centuries). Evolution and Human Behavior. 32 (5), 315-325.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513810001261
❖Molly Fox, Rebecca Sear, Jan Beise, Gillian Ragsdale, Eckart Voland, Leslie A. Knapp. (2010). Grandma plays favourites: X-chromosome relatedness and sex-specific childhood mortality. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277 (1681), 567-573.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19864288
*One of the Top-Twenty Most Downloaded Papers from American Anthropologist, 2017-2018
❖One of the Top-Ten Most Downloaded Papers from Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2009
☆One of the 5 Most Downloaded Articles of the Month, Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, December 2021
Click on the links below:
ABC 7. Breastfeeding can help protect mothers' brains when they age, UCLA study finds. 25-Oct-21
Fox News. New study suggests breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline. Jessica Chasmar. 24-Oct-21
UCLA Health. New study suggests that breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline. 22-Oct-21
People. Breastfeeding May Help Improve Mothers' Brains Long-Term, Study Finds. Julie Mazziotta. 27-Oct-21
U.S. News & World Report. Could Breastfeeding Help Women Keep Their Smarts as They Age? Cara Murez 28-Oct-21
The Orange County Register. Breastfeeding may help mothers’ brains, says UCLA study. 25-Oct-21
New York Post. New study suggests breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline. Jessica Chasmar. 24-Oct-21
NeuroscienceNews.com. Breastfeeding May Help Prevent Cognitive Decline. 23-Oct-21
Atlanta Journal Constitution. Cognitive protection of women 50+ linked to breastfeeding, study shows. Kiersten Willis. 1-Nov-21
Science Daily. New study suggests that breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline. 23-Oct-21
Hindustan Times. Breastfeeding may help prevent cognitive decline. 24-Oct-21
Washington Post. Women’s reproductive history may predict Alzheimer’s risk. Tara Bahrampour. 23-Jul-18
LA Times. How pregnancy and childbirth may protect some women from developing dementia. Melissa Healy. 23-Jul-18.
U.S. News & World Report. Having More Kids Tied to Lower Odds of Alzheimer' in Women. Dennis Thompson. 23-Jul-18.
Neurology Today. Why Pregnancy History May Be Neuroprotective for Alzheimer’s Risk. Thomas Collins. 24-Jul-18.
NBC News. Motherhood may affect Alzheimer's risk, studies show. Maggie Fox. 23-Jul-18
CBS News. Motherhood and fertility may hold clues to Alzheimer's risk for women. Dennis Thompson. 23-Jul-18
NPR: All Things Considered. Hormone Levels Likely Influence A Woman's Risk Of Alzheimer's, But How? Jon Hamilton. 23-Jul-18.
Dr Bonnie 360. The link between the oral microbiome and Alzheimer’s Disease. Becca Malizia. 20-May-2019
Medical Express. Pregnancy and reproductive history may impact dementia risk. 23-Jul-18
AARP. What being a woman means for dementia risk. Kathleen Fifield. 23-Jul-18
Alzheimer’s Association. Pregnancy and Reproductive History May Impact Dementia Risk Plus, the Move to
Re-Think the Impact of Hormone Therapy on Cognition. Niles Frantz. 23-Jul-18
New Scientist. The real baby brain: Motherhood messes with your mind, but not in the ways you think. Emma Young. 9-Jan-16
Pacific Standard. The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30. Avital Andrews. 1-Apr-14
The Times. Clean living may raise the risk of dementia. Chris Smyth. 4/9/13
The Guardian. Alzheimer’s may be linked to better hygiene, say scientists. Alok Jha. 5/9/13
Fox News. Countries with more wealth, better hygiene have higher Alzheimer’s risk. 6/9/13
Forbes. Does Living In A Healthy Environment Raise Alzheimer's Risk? Melanie Haiken. 6/9/13
Men’s Health. The Crazy Link Between Hygiene and Alzheimer’s. Cindy Kuzma. 15/9/13
CBS News. Better Hygiene Could Raise Risk of Alzheimer’s. Nicky Broyd & Farah Ahmed. 9/6/13
The Telegraph. Good hygiene may be to blame for soaring Alzheimer's. Laura Donnelley. 4/9/13
Voice of Russia (radio). Hygiene linked to Alzheimers disease. Tim Ecott. 5/9/13
Herald. Cleaner living link to rise in Alzheimer's. 20/9/13 (Ireland)
Irish Independent. Surge in Alzheimer's disease linked to cleanliness. John von Radowitz. 5/9/13
The Sun. Alzheimer’s risk ‘rises for clean fanatics.’ Lynsey Hope. 4/9/13
The Mirror. Rise in Alzheimer's cases 'linked to drinking clean water.' Louie Smith. 5/9/13
Nine MSN. Good hygiene blamed for rising Alzheimer's rates. Kimberly Gillan. 5/9/13 (Australia)
Today. Alzheimer’s may be linked to improved hygiene, say scientists. 5/9/13 (Singapore)
Daily Express. "Missing Link" found in cure for Alzheimer's. Giles Sheldrick. 4/9/13 (UK)
Times of Malta. Alzheimer's link to better hygiene. John von Radowitz. 4/9/13
New Kerala. Better hygiene in wealthy nations linked with high risk of Alzheimer's. ANI 5/9/13 (India)
Punjab Newsline. Better hygiene in wealthy nations may increase Alzheimer's risk. 5/9/13 (India)
Science Daily. Better Hygiene in Wealthy Nations May Increase Alzheimer's Risk. 5/9/13
Nature World News. High Alzheimer's Disease Rates in Rich Countries Linked with Hygiene. 5/9/13
Consumer Affairs. "Clean living" may contribute to Alzheimer's. James R. Hood. 4/9/13
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. "Breastfeeding may reduce Alzheimer’s risk." 5/8/13
Daily Utah Chronicle. "U welcomes new chair, anthropology professor." 4 Sept 13
Fox News. "Breastfeeding may lower Alzheimer’s risk in mothers." 6 Aug 2013.
The Telegraph. "Breastfeeding 'lowers Alzheimer's risk.'" Laura Donnelly. 5 Aug 2013. (UK)
BBC One. Segment on "Look East" news programme. 6 Aug 2013. (UK)
BBC Radio Scotland. Segment on "Newsdrive" news programme. 6 Aug 2013.
NHS Choices. "Does breastfeeding lower Alzheimer's risk?" 6 Aug 2013. (UK)
Alzheimer's Research UK. "Breastfeeding linked to lower maternal Alzheimer’s risk." 5 Aug 2013.
ITV News. "Breastfeeding 'lowers risk of Alzheimer's'." 5 Aug 2013. (UK)
Times of India. "Breastfeeding cuts Alzheimer's risk in women." ANI. 6 Aug 2013.
CBS News Washington DC. "Study: Breastfeeding Could Lower Alzheimer’s Risk In Women." 5 Aug 2013.
The Evening Herald. "Breastfeeding 'cuts Alzheimer's risk for mums." Ben Kendall. 6 Aug 2013. (Ireland)
New Zealand Herald. "Breastfeeding may prevent Alzheimer's." 9 Aug 2013.
The Daily Beast. "Breastfeeding May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s." 6 Aug 2013.
Korea Times. "Breastfeeding may reduce Alzheimer's risk." 6 Aug 2013.
Xinhua News. "Breastfeeding may reduce Alzheimer's risk for breastfeeding mothers." 6 Aug 2013. (China)
United Press International. "Breastfeeding may lower risk of developing Alzheimer's." 7 Aug 2013.
Nursing Times. "Breastfeeding 'lowers Alzheimer's risk.'" The Press Association. 6 Aug 2013.
Parent Herald. "Breastfeeding Perk: Study Says it Lowers Alzheimer's Disease Risk." 5 Aug 2013.
Parent Society. "Want to Avoid Alzheimer’s? Try Breastfeeding!" 11 Aug 2013.
MSN. "Breast-feeding cuts moms' Alzheimer's risk by 2/3, study says." 6 Aug 2013. (Australia)
The Australian. "Breastfeeding 'lowers disease risk.'" Ben Kendall. 5 Aug 2013.
Nine MSN. "Breastfeeding 'lowers disease risk.'" 5 Aug 2013 (Australia)
Daily Telegraph. "Breastfeeding lowers mother's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease." 5 Aug 2013. (Australia)
Cambridge News. "Breastfeeding mothers at lower risk of Alzheimer's." Jennie Baker. 5 Aug 2013. (UK)
PubMed Health. "Does breastfeeding lower Alzheimer's risk?" 6 Aug 2013.
PBS News Hour. “How grandmothers gave us longer live.” Rebecca Jacobson. 25 Oct 2012.
Newsweek. “An Evolutionary Edge: How Grandmas Might Play Favorites.” Sharon Begley. 12 Nov 2009.
The Independent. “Grandmothers: good for girls, bad for boys.” Steve Connor. 28 Oct 2009.
The Telegraph. “Why grandmothers prefer their sons’ daughters.” Ben Leach. 28 Oct 2009.
Science. “Grandma Plays Favorites.” Michael Balter. 28 Oct 2009.
New Scientist. “Mothering matters, but grandmothering counts too.” Jessica Hamzelou. 28 Oct 2009.
The Daily Mail. “Why granny dotes more on her sons’ little girls.” Fiona Macrae. 28 Oct 2009.
ABC News. “Granny really does play favorites.” (Australia) Annabel McGilvray. 28 Oct 2009.
ABC Radio National. “Grandmas help girls live longer—but boys beware.” Barbara Miller. 28 Oct 2009.
New Zealand Herald. “Grandmas: good for girls, bad for boys.” 28 Oct 2009.
Times of India. “Grandmas help girls live longer.” 30 Mar 2011.
Hindustan Times. “Grandmoms prefer son’s daughters.” 29 Oct 2009.
CBC News. “Geneticists say grandmas do play favourites.” 28 Oct 2009.
Marie Claire. “Grandmothers genetically closer to granddaughters.” Lucy Halfhead. 27 Oct 2009.
The Indian Express. "Grandmas help girls live longer, but not boys." ANI. 28 Oct 2009.
Jezebel. "Boys beware: Grandmas hazardous to grandsons' health." Anna North. 28 Oct 2009.
K01: Effects of acculturation on gestational biology in Mexican-American women (PI) 2015-2021 (NCE)
Institute of American Cultures (IAC) 7/1/20- 12/31/21
Socio-economic disparities and development of the infant intestinal ecology: a longitudinal cohort study
Council member (elected), International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, from 2019
Faculty Affiliate, UCLA Evolutionary Medicine program, from 2016
Faculty Affiliate, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, from 2016
Faculty Affiliate, California Center for Population Research, from 2016
Affiliate Researcher, Conte Center on Brain Programming, from 2013
Associate Editor, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2013-2015
Alumna Interviewer, Yale University Admissions, 2012-2015
Chair, Gates Cambridge Scholars Biology Research Group, 2009-2011
Fellow, Cambridge Philosophical Society, Elected 2011
Post-Graduate Representative, Graduate Education Committee, Department of Biological Anthropology, Cambridge, 2008-09
Women’s Officer, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, 2009-10
Women’s Council Member, Cambridge University Student Union, 2009-10
Life Member, Cambridge Union Society, from 2008
Member of the Human Biology Association (HBA), American Association for Physical Anthropology (AAPA), Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group, Royal College of Psychiatrists (EPSIG) (UK), International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE), International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health (ISEMPH)
Grand Challenges Award, International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health (ISEMPH), 2021
One of Top 20 Most Downloaded Articles from 2017-2018, American Anthropologist (journal)
Best New Investigator Award, Evolutionary Anthropology Society 2017
The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30, Pacific Standard, 2014
Distinguished Speaker, Cambridge in America Day: Women in Science. Mountain View, California 2013
Poster prize, World Congress on Developmental Origins of Health & Disease, 2013
ABTA Doctoral Research Award, 1st place in Biological & Medical Sciences 2012
Poster prize (2nd place), Human Behavior & Evolution Society Annual Meeting 2012
One of Top 10 Most Downloaded Articles from Proceedings of the Royal Society B 2009
Stanley Wheeler Award (top arts student in Morse college), Yale University, 2008
Distinction in the two majors of Anthropology & Theatre Studies, Yale University, 2008
USA Today All-USA Academic Team 2004
New York State Health Facilities Young Adult Volunteer of the Year 2004