Timothy Skog, PhD
Mentor
Program Start
August 2017
PhD Research Concentration
How one responds to stress varies widely based on the situation and the individual and the responses employed may inform one's susceptibility to stress-induced psychiatric conditions. I am interested in how top-down modulation of stress responses via the prefrontal cortex may play a role in adjusting stress processes depending on context and past experience. Specifically, I am investigating the role of prefrontal projections to the midbrain in the modulation of autonomic, behavioral, and neuroendocrine aspects of the stress response. To do this, I utilize optogenetic techniques to manipulate activity of these brain circuits during a stressful event and observe how activity in these pathways modulate stress response phenotypes. Additionally, I employ viral circuit tracing as well as histochemical techniques to elucidate the functional neuroanatomy of these circuits.
Dissertation Topic
Top-down modulation of stress response patterns through the midbrain periaqueductal gray
Thesis Defense Date
May 2023
Current Position
Medical Writer
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