| Affiliations: | |
| Project Leader: | Samantha Plas samanthaplas@tamu.edu Psychological & Brain Sciences |
| Faculty Mentor: | Israel Liberzon, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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TBA |
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Team Size:
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6 |
| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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All students are eligible to receive class credit. If a student greatly contributes to a research project, they have the opportunity to be an author on a paper or present a poster at symposium. Additionally, there is opportunity to complete a seniors thesis
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Team Needs:
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Accountable, works well with others, able to multitask, detail oriented, flexible schedule (including some weekends), previous lab work preferred, motivated |
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Description:
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Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating disorder characterized by symptoms including hyperarousal, avoidance and intrusive memories. Our lab uses novel and well established techniques to investigate several research questions: 1) we seek to determine the neurophysiological alterations in brain regions key for extinction of fear and the contributions of these changes to PTSD symptomology. Through the use of neuropixel based electrophysiology and fiber photometry, we record the activity of relevant brain regions during extinction of fear with the aim to link these alterations to extinction deficits. In addition, using optogenetic manipulations of neural circuits, we manipulate these regions with the aim to reverse the PTSD-like phenotype. 2) Establish the role of estrous cycle and related hormones on PTSD etiology in females. Sex differences exist in PTSD prevalence. Women are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with PTSD after experiencing trauma. Through hormone manipulation, surgical procedures, behavioral tests and molecular assays, we seek to determine how gonadal hormones alter normal behavior and brain function |