David Marcus
Indiana University
Sachin Patel lab
We lack a concrete understanding of how stress-induced neuroadaptations translate into the behavioral pathologies associated with psychiatric disorders such as generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. As part of my projectl, I attempt to elucidate how the endogenous cannabinoid signaling system is poised to act as a buffer against the negative physiological states induced by traumatic stress exposure. By identifying a causal link between stress-induced adaptions in the endocannabinoid system and resultant behavioral pathologies, I hope to bolster our mechanistic understanding of the etiology of stress-induced affective disorders, and strengthen the argument for components of this signaling system being efficacious therapeutic targets for the treatment of affective disorders.