What We Do

Our long term goal is to understand why some individuals are vulnerable or resilient to the potentially adverse effects of chronic stress. Chronic stress is a critical factor contributing to the development of affective and anxiety disorders and can precipitate relapse of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. This intimate association between repeated/chronic stress and affective and anxiety disorders underscores the need to understand fully the neural circuitry that regulates the physiological and behavioral consequences of repeated stress.

Our research program seeks to define the neural substrates that promote resilience to the detrimental/pathological effects of stressful life events. Activation of neural, endocrine and behavioral responses to stress is necessary for survival. However, with chronic or repeated exposure to stress, activation of these responses becomes maladaptive and drive the etiology or progression of affective disorders, anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and inflammatory disorders. Thus, one branch of our research program seeks to define the neural substrates that permit adaptation to repeated stress. However, only some stressed individuals are vulnerable to developing stress-related illness while others are resilient. The second branch of our research program investigates the factors that contribute to vulnerability in certain individuals and resilience in others. We are also intensively engaged in collaborations with clinicians to translate our findings from animal models into human subjects undergoing various types of challenges. Click to learn more

Research