Behavioral Neuroscience Research in Stress (Conrad)

Our goal is to understand the mechanisms by which stress influences brain plasticity and resilience. The stress response is vital for organism survival and yet, a dysregulated stress response can be deadly. Understanding stress balance will be necessary for optimal health and survival. We have received funding from the National Institutes of Health and several foundations to study chronic stress and cognition in rodents. Research using chronic stress in animal models provides unique insights into the neurobiological underpinnings that could provide novel directions for therapeutic treatment. Current projects entail:

• Investigations into how gonadal hormones influence cognitive function when individuals are exposed to challenges, such as ongoing chronic stress, how these outcomes differ by sex.
• Using a rodent model to understand how middle-age and estrogen exposure in females influence depression and anxiety
• In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, investigating a rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease as it pertains to cognitive ability at different ages and changes in gene expression within the brainstem region, the Nucleus Incertus.