Neurobiological Mediators of Early Adversity

Early life adversity (ELA) in the form of maltreatment, neglect, distant parent-child relationships, and unpredictable or disorganized parental care can have potent and long-lasting effects on emotional wellbeing and cognitive functions. ELA is thus a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, and can lead to increased illness severity, increased comorbidity, and reduced responsiveness to antidepressant treatments. Considering these pervasive effects of ELA on mental health it will be crucial to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate persistent effects of ELA on brain function and behavior, and to identify novel targets for early intervention. With our research, we want to understand gene x environment interactions that shape vulnerability to ELA. We are especially interested in how ELA affects the development of neural circuits underlying fear generalization, and how differences in the function of the serotonin system modulate ELA effects on neurodevelopment. Our goal is also to identify novel drug targets to rescue ELA effects on brain function and behavior.