Dr. Haghighi's research specialty is in medical epigenetics with applications to traumatic brain Injury (TBI), depression, and suicidal behavior. These epigenetic studies involve how genes are differentially transcribed and regulated, within human clinical and postmortem brain samples, providing a snapshot of potential transcriptional regulatory abnormalities associated with disease neuropathology. Dr. Haghighi's clinical studies show how environmental exposure affects the epigenome. Specifically, in her studies involving traumatic brain injury, she investigates how response to repeated blast-exposure induces long-term transcriptional regulatory changes resulting in symptoms of sleep disturbances, anxiety, cognitive deficits and depression and PTSD. Additionally, she investigates how the role of stress, specifically chronic stress, induces epigenetic changes associated with depression and suicide in the Veteran population.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Veterans Affairs (VA)
Project #
1IK6CX002074-01
Application #
9870630
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRD1)
Project Start
2019-10-01
Project End
2024-09-30
Budget Start
2019-10-01
Budget End
2020-09-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2020
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
James J Peters VA Medical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
040077133
City
Bronx
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10468