Research

Genetic predisposition for mental health-related disorders: A search for resilience factor

While genetic predisposition studies, such as genome-wide association studies, have identified genes involved in diverse genetic susceptibility variants, numerous unanswered questions remain regarding the development of more effective therapeutics. Efforts have been made to identify protective genetic factors that may reduce this risk. Our lab adopts this unique perspective of focusing on identifying genetic factors associated with resilience, as understanding these factors can help identify protective factors that can be leveraged to improve mental health outcomes in at-risk populations. These studies, moreover, have the potential to help devise personalized treatment approaches, ensuring that individuals receive the most effective care based on their genetic profile. New insights into the underlying biological mechanisms of these disorders can lead to the development of new and more targeted therapies. To this end, we are working to identify biomarkers from patient blood samples that could enable the screening of susceptible individuals in population studies.

Early-life experiences (positive and negative) modulate the neural circuit

Apart from the genetic predisposition/resilience, psychological, social and environmental interactions can have a major impact on mental health outcomes. Where strong social support, nurturing caregiving, stimulating environments, access to resources and education on strong coping mechanisms can lead to the development of robust neural circuits that can help build emotional and stress resilience and significantly impact an individual’s ability to withstand and recover from mental health challenges, exposure to adverse experiences like trauma, severe childhood physical or sexual abuse, childhood emotional and physical neglect, and severe life stress can disrupt the development of neural circuits by interacting with specific genetic variants to increase the likelihood of developing a disorder later in life. These experiences have been shown to alter the structure and function of key brain regions involved in emotional processing, stress response, and cognitive functions. Our lab aims to study the mechanism of how these risk factors interact and modulate the genetic programming and its impact on different brain regions and specific neural circuits involved in emotional processing, stress response, and cognitive functions. We plan on using cutting-edge techniques on rodent models to study these cellular and molecular changes. Understanding how early-life experiences modulate neural circuitry is crucial for developing effective interventions and preventive strategies for mental health disorders.

Novel molecular intervention for the treatment of mental health-related disorders

The ultimate overarching objective of our research is to identify and develop novel molecular interventions for the treatment of mental health-related disorders, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of individuals affected by these conditions. The most interesting aspect of neuropsychopharmacology is that all the major classes of drugs presently being used to treat various mental health conditions share their origins in the serendipitous observations made during the treatment regimens of unrelated conditions. Our research, therefore, aims to identify the true targets of the presently used drugs as well as identify novel molecular targets to develop the next generation of psychiatric drugs which are more targeted and effective, improving their safety and tolerability. This involves a combination of literature review, bioinformatics analysis, variety of molecular biology techniques to experimental validate and test interventions. In addition to developing new interventions, we are also interested in repurposing existing drugs for the treatment of mental health disorders. By screening libraries of FDA-approved drugs, we can identify compounds that have the potential to be effective in treating these disorders. This approach allows us to expedite the drug development process by leveraging existing knowledge of drug safety and pharmacokinetics.

In addition to these, we also aim to look for herbal prophylactics which present a natural and safer alternative to pharmaceutical drug treatments. We aim to inculcate an evidence based approach with evaluations of their safety, potential interactions with other drugs, and adverse effects to develop individualized treatment strategies.