Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Contact Information
Email:Biosketch
Ann M. Peiffer, PhD, graduated in 1999 from Cornell College (BA in Biology & Secondary Education), and then pursued a MS in Biobehavioral Sciences (2002) and PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience (2004) at the University of Connecticut specializing in animal models of auditory processing disorders associated with Specific Language Impairment. As a postdoctoral fellow at Wake Forest School of Medicine, she expanded research training into the impact of normal aging on multiple sensory systems, executive function, and cognition using several methods including brain imaging. For this work, Dr. Peiffer was awarded an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA to investigate Aging and Uni-sensory Influence of Multisensory Processing. She also helped develop Responsible Conduct of Research training using Problem-Based Learning Pedagogy for biomedical graduate students and post-docs. For her first faculty role, she joined the Department of Radiation Oncology and worked with a translational research team to protect cognition in cancer patients. Projects included preclinical animal models of normal tissue injury by radiation, cognitive & quality of life assessment of cancer survivors (retrospective & prospective), and clinical trials (Phase I & III). She then transitioned to Mars Hill University teaching in the Psychology & Art Therapy programs where courses focused on human development, neuroscience, gender & sexuality, language & culture, or statistics & research methods. Dr. Peiffer led several campus initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion, implemented a Return to Learn protocol for concussed student-athletes, worked with the Bonner Foundation to increase community-engaged learning through peer pedagogical coaching, and spearheaded a major revision of faculty governance. She was awarded The Gibb’s Outstanding Teaching Award in 2019 and an Appalachian College Association fellowship to support sabbatical training in Qualitative Research Methods in 2021-22.
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Education and Training
- Graduate Certificate 2024, Qualitative Research, Kansas State University
- Research Fellowship 2010, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- PhD 2004, Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Connecticut
- MS 2002, University of Connecticut
- BA 1999, Cornell College
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Research
- radiation side effects
- aging
- Translational Research
- Teaching Pedagogy in Higher Education
- Sensory processing
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Neurosciences
- Models, Animal
- Ethics, Research
- Diversity
- Cognition
- Brain Imaging Studies
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Publications
Andrews R.N., Dugan G.O., Peiffer A.M., Hawkins G.A., Hanbury D.B., Bourland J.D., Hampson R.E., Deadwyler S.A., Clinea J.M. White matter is the predilection site of late-delayed radiation-induced brain injury in non-human primates Radiation Research. 2019;191:217-231.
Cramer C.K., Alphonse-Sullivan N., Isom S., Metheny-Barlow L.J., Cummings T.L., Page B.R., Brown D.R., Blackstock A.W., Peiffer A.M., Strowd R.E., Rapp S., Lesser G.J., Shaw E.G., Chan M.D. Safety of pioglitazone during and after radiation therapy in patients with brain tumors: a phase I clinical trial Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology. 2019;145:337-344.
Andrews R.N., Caudell D.L., Metheny-Barlow L.J., Peiffer A.M., Tooze J.A., Bourland J.D., Hampson R.E., Deadwyler S.A., Cline J.M. Fibronectin Produced by Cerebral Endothelial and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Contributes to Perivascular Extracellular Matrix in Late-Delayed Radiation-Induced Brain Injury Radiation Research. 2018;190:361-373.
Naughton M.J., Douglas Case L., Peiffer A., Chan M., Stieber V., Moore D., Falchuk S., Piephoff J., Edenfield W., Giguere J., Loghin M., Shaw E.G., Rapp S.R. Quality of life of irradiated brain tumor survivors treated with donepezil or placebo: Results of the WFU CCOP research base protocol 91105 Neuro-Oncology Practice. 2018;5:114-121.
Andrews R., Metheny-Barlow L., Peiffer A., Hanbury D., Tooze J., Bourland J., Hampson R., Deadwyler S., Cline J. Cerebrovascular Remodeling and Neuroinflammation is a Late Effect of Radiation-Induced Brain Injury in Non-Human Primates Radiation Research. 2017;187:599-611.
Ayala-Peacock D.N., Attia A., Braunstein S.E., Ahluwalia M.S., Hepel J., Chung C., Contessa J., McTyre E., Peiffer A.M., Lucas J.T., Isom S., Pajewski N.M., Kotecha R., Stavas M.J., Page B.R., Kleinberg L., Shen C., Taylor R.B., Onyeuku N.E., Hyde A.T., Gorovets D., Chao S.T., Corso C., Ruiz J., Watabe K., Tatter S.B., Zadeh G., Chiang V.L.S., Fiveash J.B., Chan M.D. Prediction of new brain metastases after radiosurgery: validation and analysis of performance of a multi-institutional nomogram Journal of Neuro-Oncology. 2017;135:403-411.
Okoukoni C., McTyre E., Ayala Peacock D., Peiffer A., Strowd R., Cramer C., Hinson W., Rapp S., Metheny-Barlow L., Shaw E., Chan M. Hippocampal dose volume histogram predicts Hopkins Verbal Learning Test scores after brain irradiation Advances in Radiation Oncology. 2017;2:624-629.
Page B.R., Wang E.C., White L., McTyre E., Peiffer A., Alistar A., Mu F., Loganathan A., Bourland J.D., Laxton A.W., Tatter S.B., Chan M.D. Gamma Knife radiosurgery for brain metastases from gastrointestinal primary Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology. 2017;61:522-527.
Hanbury D.B., Peiffer A.M., Dugan G., Andrews R.N., Cline J.M. Long-Term Cognitive Functioning in Single-Dose Total-Body Gamma-Irradiated Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) Radiation Research. 2016;186:447-454.
Hanbury D.B., Robbins M.E., Bourland J.D., Wheeler K.T., Peiffer A.M., Mitchell E.L., Daunais J.B., Deadwyler S.A., Cline J.M. Pathology of fractionated whole-brain irradiation in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) Radiation Research. 2015;183:367-374.
Rapp S.R., Case L.D., Peiffer A., Naughton M.M., Chan M.D., Stieber V.W., Moore D.F., Falchuk S.C., Piephoff J.V., Edenfield W.J., Giguere J.K., Loghin M.E., Shaw E.G. Donepezil for irradiated brain tumor survivors: A phase III randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2015;33:1653-1659.
Ayala-Peacock D.N., Peiffer A.M., Lucas J.T., Isom S., Kuremsky J.G., Urbanic J.J., Bourland J.D., Laxton A.W., Tatter S.B., Shaw E.G., Chan M.D. A nomogram for predicting distant brain failure in patients treated with gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery without whole brain radiotherapy Neuro-Oncology. 2014;16:1283-1288.
Greene-Schloesser D., Payne V., Peiffer A., Hsu F., Riddle D., Zhao W., Chan M., Metheny-Barlow L., Robbins M. The Peroxisomal Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) α agonist, fenofibrate, prevents fractionated whole-brain irradiation-induced cognitive impairment Radiation Research. 2014;181:33-44.
Leyrer C.M., Chan M.D., Peiffer A.M., Horne E., Harmon M., Carter A.F., Hinson W.H., Mirlohi S., Duncan S.E., Dietrich A.M., Lesser G.J. Taste and smell disturbances after brain irradiation: A dose-volume histogram analysis of a prospective observational study Practical Radiation Oncology. 2014;4:130-135.
Paulsson A.K., Holmes J.A., Peiffer A.M., Miller L.D., Liu W., Xu J., Hinson W.H., Lesser G.J., Laxton A.W., Tatter S.B., Debinski W., Chan M.D. Comparison of clinical outcomes and genomic characteristics of single focus and multifocal glioblastoma Journal of neuro-oncology. 2014;119:429-435.
Paulsson A.K., McMullen K.P., Peiffer A.M., Hinson W.H., Kearns W.T., Johnson A.J., Lesser G.J., Ellis T.L., Tatter S.B., Debinski W., Shaw E.G., Chan M.D. Limited margins using modern radiotherapy techniques does not increase marginal failure rate of glioblastoma American Journal of Clinical Oncology: Cancer Clinical Trials. 2014;37:177-181.
Peiffer A., Creer R., Linville C., Olson J., Kulkarni P., Brown J., Riddle D., Robbins M., Brunso-Bechtold J. Radiation-induced cognitive impairment and altered diffusion tensor imaging in a juvenile rat model of cranial radiotherapy International Journal of Radiation Biology. 2014;90:799-806.
Koch K., Timmerman L., Peiffer A., Laurienti P. Convergence of two independent roads leads to collaboration between education and neuroscience Psychology in the Schools. 2013;50:577-588.
Mcgowin I., Bourland J., Peiffer A., Simpson S., Rawley J., Godwin D. SU‐E‐I‐90: Magnetoencephalography (MEG): Quantitative Comparison of Oscillations and Synchronization Differences/similarities in Post‐Surgery/pre‐Irradiation Patients and Control Subjects Medical Physics. 2013;40:146.
Peiffer A.M., Leyrer C.M., Greene-Schloesser D.M., Shing E., Kearns W.T., Hinson W.H., Tatter S.B., Ip E.H., Rapp S.R., Robbins M.E., Shaw E.G., Chan M.D. Neuroanatomical target theory as a predictive model for radiation-induced cognitive decline Neurology. 2013;80:747-753.
Greene-Schloesser D., Robbins M.E., Peiffer A.M., Shaw E.G., Wheeler K.T., Chan M.D. Radiation-induced brain injury: A review Frontiers in Oncology. 2012;2 JUL
Loganathan A.G., Chan M.D., Alphonse N., Peiffer A.M., Johnson A.J., McMullen K.P., Urbanic J.J., Saconn P.A., Bourland J.D., Munley M.T., Shaw E.G., Tatter S.B., Ellis T.L. Clinical outcomes of brain metastases treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery with 3.0 T versus 1.5 T MRI-based treatment planning: Have we finally optimised detection of occult brain metastases? Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology. 2012;56:554-560.
Robbins M.E., Brunso-Bechtold J.K., Peiffer A.M., Tsien C.I., Bailey J.E., Marks L.B. Imaging radiation-induced normal tissue injury Radiation Research. 2012;177:449-466.
Mozolic J., Hugenschmidt C., Peiffer A., Laurienti P. Multisensory integration and aging The Neural Bases of Multisensory Processes. 2011:381-392.
Peiffer A.M., Hugenschmidt C.E., Laurienti P.J. Ethics in 15 min per Week Science and Engineering Ethics. 2011;17:289-297.
Hugenschmidt C., Hayasaka S., Peiffer A., Laurienti P. Applying capacity analyses to psychophysical evaluation of multisensory interactions Information Fusion. 2010;11(1):12-20.
Jones N.L., Peiffer A.M., Lambros A., Eldridge J.C. Problem-based learning for professionalism and scientific integrity training of biomedical graduate students: Process evaluation Journal of Medical Ethics. 2010;36(10):620-626.
Jones N.L., Peiffer A.M., Lambros A., Guthold M., Johnson A.D., Tytell M., Ronca A.E., Eldridge J.C. Developing a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum for professionalism and scientific integrity training for biomedical graduate students Journal of Medical Ethics. 2010;36(10):614-619.
Peiffer A., Shi L., Olson J., Brunso-Bechtold J. Differential effects of radiation and age on diffusion tensor imaging in rats Brain Research. 2010;1351:23-31.
Addicott M., Yang L., Peiffer A., Laurienti P. Methodological considerations for the quantification of self-reported caffeine use Psychopharmacology. 2009;203(3):571-578.
Addicott M.A., Yang L.L., Peiffer A.M., Burnett L.R., Burdette J.H., Chen M.Y., Hayasaka S., Kraft R.A., Maldjian J.A., Laurienti P.J. The effect of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow: How much caffeine can we tolerate? Human Brain Mapping. 2009;30(10):3102-3114.
Hugenschmidt C., Peiffer A., McCoy T., Hayasaka S., Laurienti P. Preservation of crossmodal selective attention in healthy aging Experimental Brain Research. 2009;198(2-3):273-285.
Peiffer A.M., Hugenschmidt C.E., Haldjian J.A., Casanova R., Srlkanth R., Hayasaka S., Burdette J.H., Kraft R.A., Laurienti P.J. Aging and the interaction of sensory cortical function and structure Human Brain Mapping. 2009;30(1):228-240.
Fitch R.H., Threlkeld S.W., McClure M.M., Peiffer A.M. Use of a modified prepulse inhibition paradigm to assess complex auditory discrimination in rodents Brain Research Bulletin. 2008;76(1-2):1-7.
Hugenschmidt C.E., Peiffer A.M., Kraft R.A., Casanova R., Deibler A.R., Burdette J.H., Maldjian J.A., Laurienti P.J. Relating imaging indices of white matter integrity and volume in healthy older adults Cerebral Cortex. 2008;18(2):433-442.
Mozolic J., Hugenschmidt C., Peiffer A., Laurienti P. Modality-specific selective attention attenuates multisensory integration Experimental Brain Research. 2008;184(1):39-52.
Mozolic J.L., Joyner D., Hugenschmidt C.E., Peiffer A.M., Kraft R.A., Maldjian J.A., Laurienti P.J. Cross-modal deactivations during modality-specific selective attention BMC Neurology. 2008;8
Peiffer A.M., Laurienti P.J., Hugenschmidt C.E. Fostering a culture of responsible lab conduct Science. 2008;322(5905):1186.
Peiffer A.M., Maldjian J.A., Laurienti P.J. Resurrecting Brinley plots for a novel use: Meta-analyses of functional brain imaging data in older adults International Journal of Biomedical Imaging. 2008;2008(1)
Hayasaka S., Peiffer A., Hugenschmidt C., Laurienti P. Power and sample size calculation for neuroimaging studies by non-central random field theory NeuroImage. 2007;37(3):721-730.
Peiffer A.M., Mozolic J.L., Hugenschmidt C.E., Laurienti P.J. Age-related multisensory enhancement in a simple audiovisual detection task NeuroReport. 2007;18(10):1077-1081.
Srikanth R., Casanova R., Laurienti P., Peiffer A., Maldjian J. Estimation of false discovery rates for wavelet-denoised statistical parametric maps NeuroImage. 2006;33(1):72-84.
McClure M.M., Peiffer A.M., Rosen G.D., Fitch R.H. Auditory processing deficits in rats with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience. 2005;23(4):351-362.
Friedman J.T., Peiffer A.M., Clark M.G., Benasich A.A., Fitch R.H. Age and experience-related improvements in gap detection in the rat Developmental Brain Research. 2004;152(2):83-91.
Peiffer A., Friedman J., Rosen G., Fitch R. Impaired gap detection in juvenile microgyric rats Developmental Brain Research. 2004;152(2):93-98.
Peiffer A.M., McClure M.M., Threlkeld S.W., Rosen G.D., Fitch R.H. Severity of focal microgyria and associated rapid auditory processing deficits NeuroReport. 2004;15(12):1923-1926.
Peiffer A.M., Rosen G.D., Fitch R.H. Sex differences in rapid auditory processing deficits in microgyric rats Developmental Brain Research. 2004;148(1):53-57.
Peiffer A.M., Fitch R.H., Thomas J.J., Yurkovic A.N., Rosen G.D. Brain weight differences associated with induced focal microgyria BMC Neuroscience. 2003;4
Peiffer A., Rosen G., Fitch R. Rapid auditory processing and MGN morphology in microgyric rats reared in varied acoustic environments Developmental Brain Research. 2002;138(2):187-193.
Peiffer A.M., Rosen G.D., Fitch R.H. Sex differences in rapid auditory processing deficits in ectopic BXSB/MpJ mice NeuroReport. 2002;13(17):2277-2280.
Peiffer A.M., Dunleavy C.K., Frenkel M., Gabel L.A., LoTurco J.J., Rosen G.D., Fitch R.H. Impaired detection of variable duration embedded tones in ectopic NZB/BINJ mice NeuroReport. 2001;12:2875-2879.
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Presentations
- Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) Model of RadiationInduced Mood Disruption. Peiffer, AM, Burke, A, Leyer, CM, Shing, E, Kearns, WT, Hinson, WH, Case, D, Rapp, SR, Shaw, EG & Chan, MD, World Federation of Neuro-Oncology in conjunction with the 18th Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day of the Society for Neuro-Oncology , San Francisco, CA, 11/2013
- Exploring late effects of brain irradiation with a Delayed Match to Sample Paradigm. Linville C, Hampson R, Deadwyler S & Peiffer AM, 17th Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day of the Society for Neuro-Oncology , Washington DC, Washington DC, 11/2012
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging associates with differences in neurocognitive performance for cancer survivors complaining of cognitive deficits following brain irradiation.. Peiffer, AM, Shaw E, Case D & Rapp SR, 17th Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day of the Society for Neuro-Oncology , Washington DC, Washington DC, 11/2012
- Anatomic Considerations for Somatotopic Organization of the Descending Motor Fibers: A Pictorial Essay. Hamilton JD, Kumar VA, Prabhu SS, Shah K, Peiffer AM, Hayman LA, Kumar AJ, ASNR 50th Annual Meeting and The Foundation of the ASNR Symposium, New York, NY, 04/2012
- Moral Reasoning Schemas and Views on Science, Technology and Society in Biomedical Graduate Students and Faculty. Peiffer AM, Eldridge JC, & Jones NL, ORI Research on Research Integrity Conference, Niagara Falls, NY, 05/2009
- Training Postdoctoral Fellows to facilitate Problem-Based Learning groups for graduate training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), scientific integrity and professionalism. Peiffer AM, Jones NL, Eldridge JC, Lambros A, Ronca A & Johnson D, National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, 04/2008