Hormones in Psychiatry Group

Our research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the development of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, especially schizophrenia and ADHD. We have a particular interest in understanding sex differences and the action of sex steroid hormones (e.g. estrogen) in these disorders.

We hope to identify the mechanisms underlying sex differences and the beneficial effects of estrogen in diseases, to deepen our understanding of the complex aetiology of these disorders. By understanding these mechanisms, we can identify new and better treatments.

Sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are increasingly implicated in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. There are marked sex differences in the risk, severity of symptoms and functional outcomes in schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, ASD and ADHD. The strongest candidate to explain these differences is sex hormones.

Our research aims to identify the mechanisms underlying the effects of sex hormones in psychiatric disorders. This will enhance our understanding of the complex aetiology of these disorders and highlight the importance of recognising sex differences in symptoms and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Ultimately, our research aims to identify novel therapeutic strategies.

We specialise in using neuropsychopharmacological approaches to examine sex steroid regulation of the brain and behaviour in disease. We use multidisciplinary methods, combining various preclinical models, behavioural measures and molecular studies, as well as human cognitive testing. We use maternal immune activation models to explore the role of prenatal inflammation on the development and severity of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Our significant findings include that 17β-estradiol (the most potent estrogen) has a therapeutic effect on some symptoms of schizophrenia. Using a rat maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia, we found that behavioural deficits relevant to schizophrenia were reversed by 17β-estradiol treatment, and that these effects were likely mediated by dopamine D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens.

Later, we used a whole transcriptome discovery approach to probe the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of estrogen. We identified a number of genes that are changed in the frontal cortex of rats that have their endogenous source of hormones removed compared with exogenous estrogen replacement.

Overall, our research highlights the need for researchers and clinicians to consider sex differences, hormonal equilibrium in women and the important role of sex hormones in several disorders.