Project Summary

Cornelius Gross, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, , will study in an animal model how environmental factors impact genetic predisposition in the development of anxiety. He will then translate his findings to human genes. Using an innovative animal model to study gene-environment interaction, Dr. Gross has found certain mouse genes that regulate the function of the neurotransmitter serotonin to determine how an early-rearing environment increases the risk of anxiety in the adult. Now, Dr. Gross proposes to find novel genes that modulate the effects of rearing environment by using genome sequence data from different mouse strains. Dr. Gross will use the genomic information to design a special microarray-based diagnostic tool to find these modulatory genes. Human genes corresponding to these mouse genes could then become candidate diagnostic and therapeutic targets in the clinic.

Program Area: ANXIETY DISORDERS\Anxiety Disorder

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