Brittany Howell tapped for Postpartum Support Virginia board of directors
The selection recognizes the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute neuroscientist’s research into the biological pathways of early experience and maternal influence on infant brain development.
In her new role with Postpartum Support Virginia, neuroscientist Brittany Howell of Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC brings the perspective of evidenced-based scientific research. Photo by Clayton Metz for Virginia Tech.
Brittany Howell, an associate professor with Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been chosen to serve on the board of directors for Postpartum Support Virginia.
The Fredericksburg-based nonprofit, which was established in 2009, educates families, providers, and communities about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth. The organization’s work includes direct support to families, training for maternal and pediatric health providers, and community-based programs across the commonwealth.
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately one in 7 people experience potentially severe mood disorders during pregnancy or in the first year after birth. Depression can come from fluctuating hormones, genetics, or environmental factors; recognizing and treating the condition can improve health outcomes for both the parent and child.
Howell is among the new members to be selected for 2026. As a scientist, she brings a unique perspective. Other board members include physicians, nurses, and community leaders, as well as parents with lived experience with postpartum depression and anxiety.
Howell earned a bachelor’s in neuroscience and cell and molecular biology from Tulane University in Louisiana and a doctorate in neuroscience from Emory University in Georgia. She spent five years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development before starting her own lab at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
In her current role, she is part of the nation’s largest long-term study of early brain and child development, called the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study Consortium, which unites researchers from 27 institutions across the country to explore influences on human brain development in utero and during childhood.
With colleagues at the institute, Howell is also pioneering advanced neuroimaging techniques to record real-time brain activity during natural social interactions between a parent and child. The research can help identify changing patterns of neural activity during development.
Howell also holds an appointment in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and the Department of Pediatrics with the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
