Research

My lab is interested in how the ovarian steroid hormones, estradiol and progesterone, regulate behavior and physiology, including energy homeostasis. These hormones elicit many of their biological effects by binding to their respective intracellular steroid receptors located in target tissues throughout the body, including the brain. In the past, our work explored how nuclear receptor coactivators dramatically enhance the transcriptional activity of these steroid receptors in brain. 

More recently, we have been exploring how hormones impact the gut microbiome, which is a collection of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, archaea, protozoa and fungi), their genomes and the factors they produce in the gut. The gut microbiome has been implicated in a variety of disorders and diseases, including obesity, depression, and anxiety (Tetel et al., 2018). In collaboration with Jason Kim (UMass Medical School), we studied the effects of estrogens and diet on metabolism and gut microbiota in female mice (Acharya et al., 2021 and 2022). While the decline in estrogens during menopause causes weight gain, this decrease in estrogens is also associated with depression, anxiety, stress and sleep disturbances. In collaboration with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, we investigated the effects of estrogens and gut microbiota on anxiety in female mice (Acharya et al., 2023). Currently, we are working with Marina Walther-Antonio (Mayo Clinic), Nicholas Chia (Argonne National Labs), Casey Pattanayak (Quantitative Analysis Inst) and Christen Deveney (Psychology), to explore the interactions between the human gut and vaginal microbiomes and the implications for women’s health (Graham et al., 2021).  As an extension of our previous work (Song et al., 2020), we are asking if life-style factors, such as stress, diet, exercise, sleep, and hormones affect the interaction between these two important microbiomes. 

See the Team page for a more detailed description of each lab member’s ongoing project and to catch up with our lab alums. Here is a list of our lab’s publications.