KRISTEN KOCHER, PH.D. Research Postdoctoral Fellow
Kristen Kocher, Ph.D., joined the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) in December 2022 as a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development T32 Research Postdoctoral Fellow. Kristen studies the genomic and epigenomic signatures associated with perinatal stressors and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Prior to joining DBI, she obtained her doctorate in Genomics and Bioinformatics from the George Washington University. Kristen’s dissertation focused on using novel bioinformatic approaches to characterize the impact of fetal congenital heart disease and maternal psychological distress on the neonatal epigenome.
Address: 111 Michigan Ave. NW; Washington, D.C., 20010
Email: fetalbrain@childrensnational.org
Department: MRI Lab
Research, Education and Innovation Week 2024 awards
Kocher K, Ngwa J, Galla JT, Basu SK, Ottolini K, Andescavage N, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C. Early epigenetic biomarkers of accelerated aging in extremely versus very preterm infants. Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024. (Certificate of Excellence awarded to lead author, Kristen Kocher. Basic Science: Fellow Award.)
Recent publications & presentations
2025 | July
Kocher K, Ngwa J, Bhattacharya S, Donofrio M, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. “Epigenomic Signatures of Accelerated Epigenetic Aging Are Associated With Congenital Heart Disease in Newborns.” BMC Medical Genomics. 2025 Jul 28;18(1):121. doi: 10.1186/s12920-025-02189-2. PMID: 40722095; PMCID: PMC12305921
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40722095
2025 | April
Kocher K, et al. "Early Epigenetic Biomarkers of Deaccelerated Aging in Preterm Infants With Extrauterine Growth Failure." Oral Abstract presentation. Pediatric Academic Societies 2025. Honolulu, Hawaii. April 2025.
Kocher K, Ottolini K, Ngwa J, Latif H, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. “Preterm Infants Experiencing Extrauterine Growth Failure Exhibit Epigenetic Age Deacceleration” Poster presentation. Children’s National Hospital 15th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. March-April 2025.
2024 | September
Kocher KM, Ngwa J, Kapse KJ, Bhattacharya S, Rossi C, Delot E, du Plessis A, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. Technical considerations for placental tissue processing and the subsequent impact on genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Clinical Epigenetics. 2024 Sep 16;16(1):128. doi: 10.1186/s13148-024-01741-8. PMID: 39285447; PMCID: PMC11403961
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39285447
2024 | April
Kocher K, Ngwa J, Andescavage N, Henderson D, Limperopoulos C. Prenatal exposure to COVID-19 pandemic is linked with epigenetic age acceleration in newborns. Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.
2023
Kocher K, Bhattacharya S, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Almalvez M, Henderson D, Vilain E, Limperopoulos C, Délot EC. Genome-wide neonatal epigenetic changes associated with maternal exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Med Genomics. 2023 Oct 30;16(1):268. doi: 10.1186/s12920-023-01707-4. PMID: 37899449
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37899449/