the psychology and neuroscience of Chronic stress

Current research interests:

My broad research interest lies in understanding how chronic stress affects the mind and the psychological, sociocultural, neurobiological and neuroinflammatory components that underlie stress responses. Research and approaches span disciplines and techniques, but the central theme is focused on understanding the sequelae of chronic stress and by extension, developing interventions and targets for stress related disorders.

1. To study the role of domestic violence and intimate partner violence as a chronic stressor and study their effects on long term mental health among populations at risk

2. To model aspects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in rodents using novel psychosocial and physical stress paradigms, followed by analysis of their brains, focusing on neuron-glial interactions and neuroinflammatory responses

3. To develop 3D culture (brain-on-a-chip) models to study neuronal-glial interactions following application of various biomechanical as well as chemical stressors

Prior Areas of Training :

• Neuroinflammation in the context of Neurodegenrative and neurocognitive disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, consequences of sustained overexpression of Interleukin-1 Beta, a master regulator of the brain's Immune response in murine models of Alzheimer's disease and tauopathy.

• Repetitive Concussive traumatic Brain Injury rodent models as developed in the Laboratory of Dr. David Brody at Washington University (Currently at NINDS) and the effects of such injuries in the dendritic spine compartments of cortical neurons.

• Testing the toxicity of human Alzheimer's brain derived high molecular weight oligomeric fractions in rodents by performing steterotaxic delivery into the mouse hippocampus, followed by immunohistochemical and behavioral characterization.