The Bolton Lab conducts basic neuroscience research on limbic and stress-related circuits to probe the mechanisms by which early-life experiences, like adversity and stress, can “rewire” the highly plastic developing brain. We are particularly interested in microglial interactions with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, and how these can shape risk vs. resilience to depression and drug addiction. Our work spans multiple levels of analysis, from molecular/cellular to functional/behavioral, and we employ cutting-edge techniques like 2-photon time-lapse imaging of microglia-neuron interactions, 3-D reconstruction confocal microscopy, RNA-sequencing of specific microglial and neuronal populations, and in vivo cell-specific manipulation with DREADDs and conditional knockout mice.
Key Research Areas:
Neuroimmunology, Microglia-Neuron Interactions, Early-life Stress/Adversity, Neurodevelopment, Neuroendocrinology, Behavioral Neuroscience
