Microglia are the resident immune cells within the brain and their production of immune molecules such as cytokines and chemokines is critical for the processes of normal brain development including… (More)
Epigenetic changes in the nervous system are emerging as a critical component of enduring effects induced by early life experience, hormonal exposure, trauma and injury, or learning and memory. Sex… (More)
The brain, endocrine, and immune systems are inextricably linked. Immune molecules have a powerful impact on neuroendocrine function, including hormone-behavior interactions, during health as well as… (More)
The immune system is well characterized for its critical role in host defense. Far beyond this limited role however, there is mounting evidence for the vital role the immune system plays within the… (More)
A critical component of drug addiction research involves identifying novel biological mechanisms and environmental predictors of risk or resilience to drug addiction and associated relapse.… (More)
Microglia and astrocytes are the primary immune cells within the central nervous system. Microglia influence processes including neural development, synaptic plasticity and cognition; while their… (More)
Sexual differentiation of the rodent brain occurs during a perinatal critical period when androgen production from the male testis is locally converted to estradiol in neurons, resulting in… (More)
Adolescence in humans represents a unique developmental time point associated with increased risk-taking behavior and experimentation with drugs of abuse. We hypothesized that exposure to drugs of… (More)
Studies from multiple species, including humans, suggest that gonadal hormones, and ovarian hormones in particular, influence the physiology of sleep, but the mechanisms by which these hormones… (More)
The hormonal regulation of sexual behavior has been the topic of study for over 50 years and yet controversies persist regarding the importance of early versus late events and the identity of the… (More)