Anna Jacobowitz L&S Biological Sciences
Sex-Specific Neural Responses to Psychedelic Medicine
Over one in five US adults currently live with psychiatric disorders. A third of which are unresponsive to antidepressant drugs, resulting in a large population still seeking effective treatment. Recent studies in the Kaufer Lab demonstrate that psychedelic therapy regenerates neural pathways in the brain and exhibits efficacy in treatment-resistant populations, offering a promising alternative. Within psychiatric disorders, there are few studies that examine sex-specific effects on behavior and physiology with psychedelic treatment. To understand this, my project asks the question: is there a sex differentiated pattern in neuronal activation between male and female mice with psychedelics? Expected outcomes from the study will provide significant impact to the field by providing information to clinicians to develop more effective therapies. This will in turn improve the life quality of millions affected globally.
Message To Sponsor
It is an honor to have your generous support in conducting independent research at UC Berkeley. Thank you very much for this unique and exciting opportunity! I look forward to commit full-time to cutting-edge research and collaborate with my SURF Fellows this summer.