Aishling Kelly
Pronouns
She/her
Rank
Undergrad
Institution
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center|Harvard Medical School
Department
Neurology
Authors
Carrie Mahoney, Natalia Machado, Aishling Kelly, Thomas Scammell
Principal Investigator
Categories:
Intensified stress responses in menopausal females and underlying mechanisms have been vastly understudied. Our research addresses the connection to orexin neuronal activity in the context of chronic low estradiol and the effect on stress behavior. Our hypothesis states that low estradiol heightens orexin signaling, exacerbating stress responses. We modulate orexin neuron activity in ovariectomized mice with and without estradiol replacement that experience repeated restraint stress. This allows us to define behaviors under chronically low estradiol and discern the role of orexin neurons in mediating stress responses. The findings of this study include potential treatments for menopausal symptoms utilizing orexin antagonists.