How does the brain respond to stress? And what happens when these circuits malfunction?

Our goal is to elucidate the neural mechanisms of stress with the hope that this will lead to a better understanding of stress related-disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. 

We utilize behavioral, anatomical, endocrinological, and functional approaches to understand how stress-responsive systems are organized in the mammalian brain.  Recent advances in the field have enabled us to gain unparalleled insight into the brain circuits that regulate stress responses, and how dysfunction in these pathways lead to behavioral and endocrine patterns observed in stress-related diseases.