Gwen V. Childs

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Distinguished Professor

UAMS

Last publication 2026 Last refreshed 2026-05-22

faculty

childsgwenv@uams.edu

49 h-index 275 pubs 7,014 cited

Research Areas

Links

ORCID Lab Website Research Group UAMS TRI Profile

OverviewAI-generated summary

Gwen V. Childs, Distinguished Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, conducts research focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying pituitary gland function and plasticity. Her work investigates how post-transcriptional regulation, particularly through RNA-binding proteins like Musashi, controls the translation of key pituitary mRNAs. This research has implications for understanding metabolic control of reproduction and the impact of conditions such as obesity and oxidative stress on pituitary cell function.

Childs' research group has received significant federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for studies exploring the impact of obesity on somatotrope function and the molecular mechanisms of pituitary plasticity. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, with her work cited over 7,500 times and an h-index of 49. Her recent publications address topics including adipo-glial signaling in peripheral nerve regeneration, the regulatory landscape of the murine pituitary, and the effects of high-fat diets on anterior pituitary transcriptomics. She also investigates the role of Musashi proteins in directing the translational activation of pituitary mRNAs and their association with other regulatory factors.

Her collaborations within the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences are extensive, particularly with Angus M. MacNicol, Melanie C MacNicol, Angela K. Odle, and Alex Lagasse, with whom she has co-authored numerous publications. Childs' research program is characterized by its focus on fundamental biological processes with potential relevance to human health.

Metrics

h-index: 49
Publications: 275
Citations: 7,014

Selected Publications

OR13-08 Secretoneurin Modulates Gonadotrope Function Cyclically to Regulate LH Secretion (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
SAT-001 Impact of VCD-induced Menopause on Gonadotrope Transcriptomics Reveals Estrogen-dependent Genes in the GnRH Signaling Pathway (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
SAT-016 Musashi Contributes to the Specification and Maintenance of Distinct Pituitary Cell Lineages. (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
High fat diet-induced loss of pituitary plasticity in aging female mice with ablated leptin signaling in somatotropes (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
Musashi-dependent mRNA translational activation is mediated through association with the Scd6/Like-sm family member, LSM14B (2025)

4 citations DOI OpenAlex
Ablation of Leptin Receptor Signaling Alters Somatotrope Transcriptome Maturation in Female Mice (2025)

2 citations DOI OpenAlex
Solving the Mystery of the Neonatal GH Surge (2024)

DOI OpenAlex
8572 A 30% Maternal Caloric Restriction Alters Expression of Musashi Targets in the Neonatal and Adult Pituitary Proteomes of FVB Mice (2024)

DOI OpenAlex
8649 Ablation of Leptin Receptors in Somatotropes Impacts Transcriptomic Plasticity in the Pou1f1 Lineage of Female Pituitary Cells (2024)

DOI OpenAlex
The Musashi RNA binding proteins direct the translational activation of key pituitary mRNAs (2024)

5 citations DOI OpenAlex
Maternal undernutrition results in transcript changes in male offspring that may promote resistance to high fat diet induced weight gain (2024)

3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Anterior Pituitary Transcriptomics Following a High-Fat Diet: Impact of Oxidative Stress on Cell Metabolism (2023)

9 citations DOI OpenAlex
Adipo-glial signaling mediates metabolic adaptation in peripheral nerve regeneration (2023)

72 citations DOI OpenAlex
FRI290 Proteomic Identification Of Secretoneurin-Stimulated Proteins In Purified Mouse Gonadotropes (2023)

DOI OpenAlex
OR20-03 Leptin-mediated Regulation Of Gene Regulatory Networks In Gonadotropes (2023)

DOI OpenAlex