Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating illness affecting up to 10% of the population. Stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric diseases and acts on the basis of individual genetic risk. However, it is unclear how genetic factors predispose brain circuits to stress-induced changes underlying psychiatric disease.

In this project, we address that open question using transgenic mice which resemble a highly disease penetrant mutation found in human depression patients. We will utilize a panel of in vivo and in vitro methods to define the cellular and circuit mechanisms behind stress-induced brain alterations. Our results are expected to reveal crucial mechanisms of gene-environment interactions underlying psychiatric conditions.

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