Dr. Marrocco is an Assistant Professor at Touro University. He holds a concurrent appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Cell and Molecular Physiology at New York Medical College. He also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Research in Neuroscience at the Brain Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, and as a Research Collaborator at The Rockefeller University. He completed his postdoctoral training in the Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University under the mentorship of the late Dr. Bruce S. McEwen, where he specialized in genome wide and translational neuroscience approaches. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience (summa cum laude) from the University of Lille/CNRS (France), and holds a master’s degree in Neurobiology (summa cum laude) and a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Sapienza University of Rome. He also obtained a Certificate in Clinical and Translational Research at The Rockefeller University.
His body of work spans molecular, epigenetic, and circuit level investigations with an emphasis on neurobiology of stress, neural circuit regulation, and affective disorders. He employs translational and cross species methodologies to characterize mechanisms by which early life and adult stressors regulate behavior, physiology, and epigenetic processes. His research integrates epigenomic, transcriptomic, and neural circuit analyses to define the biological substrates associated with stress related adaptations.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University
- Certificate in Clinical and Translational Research, The Rockefeller University
- PhD, Neuroscience, École Doctorale Biologie Santé, University of Lille/CNRS, Lille, France
- Master’s Degree, Neurobiology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
- Bachelor’s Degree, Biological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Areas of Expertise
- Neurobiology of Stress
- Neural Circuit Function and Plasticity
- Molecular Psychiatry
- Translational and Cross Species Neuroscience
Honors and Awards
- NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (2024–present)
- Presidential Research Development Grant, Touro University (2023–present)
- Research Agreement, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Cornell Medicine and Touro University (2022–2023)
- Hope for Depression Research Foundation Fellow (2014–2022)
- Society of Biological Psychiatry Travel Award (2022)
- American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award (2021)
- International Behavioral Neuroscience Society Travel Award (2021)
- Rockefeller University Gary R. Helman Fellow (2018–2019)
- Randall R. Sakai Travel Award (2018)
- NIH Sponsored Travel Award (2018)
- Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award (2017)
- Ministry of Health of Italy Fellow (2013–2014)
- FENS IBRO Travel Award (2010)
- Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation of France Fellow (2009–2012)
- Servier Laboratories Foundation Fellow (2009–2010)
Research
Dr. Marrocco directs a translational neuroscience research program focused on identifying the molecular and epigenetic signatures of stress-induced allostatic load across key developmental periods. His current research aims to elucidate how stress-responsive pathways shape neural circuit function and contribute to long-term physiological and behavioral outcomes, with particular emphasis on affective disorders, stress-related neuropsychiatric vulnerability, and the molecular mechanisms of novel rapid-acting antidepressants.
Publications
- Martz J, Hammer B, Langen TJ, et. al. "Investigating milk-derived extracellular vesicles as mediators of maternal stress and environmental intervention." Molecular psychiatry, (), (2025) . doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03346-w
- Martz J, Hammer B, Langen TJ, et. al. "Investigating milk-derived extracellular vesicles as mediators of maternal stress and environmental intervention." bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, (), (2025) . pii: 2025.05.30.656911. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.30.656911
- Joglekar A, Hu W, Zhang B, et. al. "Single-cell long-read sequencing-based mapping reveals specialized splicing patterns in developing and adult mouse and human brain." Nature neuroscience, 27(6), (2024) 1051-1063. doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01616-4
- Dalla C, Jaric I, Pavlidi P, et. al. "Practical solutions for including sex as a biological variable (SABV) in preclinical neuropsychopharmacological research." Journal of neuroscience methods, 401(), (2024) 110003. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.110003
- Goetz TG, Aghi K, Anacker C, et. al. "Perspective on equitable translational studies and clinical support for an unbiased inclusion of the LGBTQIA2S+community." Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 48(6), (2023) 852-856. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01558-8
- Marrocco J, Galea LAM. "Bruce McEwen: Mentees' tribute." Psychoneuroendocrinology, (), (2023) 106048. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106048
- DeRosa H, Caradonna SG, Tran H, et. al. "Got milk? Maternal immune activation during the mid-lactational period affects nutritional milk quality and adolescent offspring sensory processing in male and female rats." Molecular psychiatry, 27(12), (2022) 4829-4842. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01744-y
Professional Service
- Faculty Senate, Touro University
- Chair, Awards Committee, ALBA Network
- Ad hoc Member, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Memberships and Affiliations
- American Psychological Association
- Society for Women’s Health Research
- Mediterranean Neuroscience Society
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- International Behavioral Neuroscience Society
- Organization for the Study of Sex Differences
- Society for Neuroscience
Teaching Responsibilities
Dr. Marrocco teaches undergraduate and doctoral-level courses, including Endocrinology, Cell Biology, and Research Projects in Biology at the undergraduate college, as well as Biological Foundations of Behavior in the PsyD program in Clinical Psychology.
