Puberty is a significant stage of development marked by many transitions in both physiological and neural function. Though most people appreciate the large hormonal changes that occur during this period of development, the types of life experiences that an adolescent individual encounters also change dramatically. These experiences can result in increased exposure to stressors in the environment. A growing body of research indicates that how an individual responds to stress, both physiologically and neurobiologically, changes substantially during this stage of life. Despite these pubertal-related shifts in stress reactivity, relatively little is known about the biological mechanisms that underlie these shifts. It is important to address these gaps in this understanding as stress can disrupt many of the body and brain systems that are developing into their adult-like patterns during this time. Using an experimental animal model that combines studies at the whole organism and biochemical levels, these experiments will begin to reveal the neural and endocrinological mechanisms that mediate the pubertal changes in stress responsiveness. The results produced by these studies will contribute to, and greatly extend, the current understanding of how pubertal maturation and stress interact to affect both the brain and body. Importantly, these studies will be undertaken at Barnard College, an all-women liberal arts college. Thus, in addition to these experiments leading to significant advances in the fundamental understanding of development, support of this proposal will also provide many female undergraduates with ample educational opportunities to take part in all aspects of the research experience.
