My research goal is to further understand the biological mechanisms associated with stress disorders. More specifically, I analyze the molecular effects of virally manipulated Astrocytic CREB on mouse models susceptibility to stress and anxiety. My research aims to gain a broader understanding of stress disorders and the molecular mechanisms which affect them.
Anxiety and Stress disorders are a massive public health burden globally. According to large population-based surveys, up to 33.7% of the population are affected by an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. In order to develop new and effective means of treatment, researchers study neurons at a molecular level, attempting to understand the causes and effects of stress disorders. However, recent research has shown that chronic stress can affect a wide range of cells in the brain, including but not limited to Astrocytes. My research question is: Which identifiable genes regulated by astrocytic CREB are responsible for an increase in an animal's ability to withstand stress? In order to determine the molecular processes involved in modulating stress disorders, RNA-sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses were performed to investigate the NAC astrocyte transcriptome in male mice in response to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). My results found that stress by itself impacts biological functions associated with neuronal morphology and astrocyte function. Additionally increased CREB activity in astrocytes may influence stress susceptibility through modulation of astrocyte function (syncytium formation) and neuronal synaptic transmission.
GMT20240515-142319_Clip_Ellie Keane's Clip 05_15_2024.mp4Keane_Ellie_poster.pdf.pptx