What We Do
Painting by Kedan Endrias, Georgia State University
Investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of experience-dependent resilience and vulnerability to stress, and how sex, developmental stage, and type of experience shape an individual’s trajectory.
Our work revolves around a broad set of questions. These questions and our current approaches are listed below.
Can we build translational models relevant for female life experience?
Women have been left out of biomedical research
As a graduate student, Dr. Morrison was told that females are ‘too complicated’ and that studying things of relevance for women (puberty, pregnancy, aging) were low priority. We answered these claims by developing a mouse model that is relevant to the life experiences of women and girls. We continue to work with clinicians to develop and adapt animal models to make progress for women’s health.
How does stress reprogram the brain?
Pubertal brain maturation
We are currently investigating how stress during puberty alters brain maturation in a sex-specific manner. We have evidence that pubertal stress alters both the transcriptome and the chromatin landscape in ways that last a lifetime in female mice. Current projects are using a variety of approaches to investigate how pubertal stress enacts these lasting changes and the mechanisms that permit their permanence in the brain.
How is risk uncovered during dynamic periods of life?
Lifespan approach to understanding risk
We are currently investigating risk factors that are particularly relevant for women’s mental health, including the physiological experience of pregnancy and postpartum. We have evidence that pregnancy uncovers risk for affective dysfunction in both humans and mice. Current projects are utilizing genetic and pharmacological approaches to understand how the experience of pregnancy uncovers this risk.
How does this experience put individuals at risk for further dysfunction?
Consequences of a second hit
When individuals experience a second “hit”, such as pregnancy or another experience of trauma, it is likely to enact further and perhaps permanent dysfunction. We have evidence that individuals who previously experienced stress during puberty are sensitive to later life perturbations, and that this may have lasting consequences for pregnancy and maternal behavior. We are currently examining the consequences for both mom and offspring.
What experiences produce resilience to stress?
Experience-dependent resilience to stress
The experience of social support during adversity is known to produce resilience to the negative consequences of adversity. However, the mechanisms of resilience are not well understood. We are currently examining the molecules and neural pathways involved in the impact of social support on the lasting consequences of pubertal stress.
Techniques and Approaches
The lab uses a variety of techniques and approaches to answer these questions, including multiomic integration of advanced sequencing techniques, bioinformatics, molecular methods, pharmacological manipulation, circuit-based approaches, and behavioral assays.
We also collaborate with clinicians to design studies that can bridge the translational gap and to provide molecular and biochemical analyses of human tissues and biofluids.