Department of Physiology

We study the impact of stress on the neurocircuitry of violent aggression. Early life stress is a reliable predictor of aggression in the adult. Changes in the strength of different brain circuits can alter aggression in humans and laboratory animals. The neural mechanisms underlying this change are only starting to be understood. To fill this gap in our understanding, we interrogate the neurocircuitry of stress-induced chronic aggression using a combination of animal behavior, viral tools, electrophysiology, chemo- and optogenetics, fiber photometry, and pharmacology.  Our hope is by answering these questions, new and better therapies to treat excessive aggression can be developed.