Our group’s research has long been focused on studying the neurobehavioral bases of the differential, psychiatric-relevant profiles of the RHA vs RLA rat strains, as well as the effects of various infantile-juvenile environmental treatments on their genetically-based neural and behavioral phenotypes.
Our current research interests are focused on delving deeper into these aspects. We intend, on the one hand, to continue exploring what neurogenetic processes are critical in the cortical immaturity (and cortical-hippocampal functional alterations) of RHA (vs RLA) rats, and how certain infantile-juvenile experiences can counteract such an immaturity both at the neurobehavioral level and at the level of relevant gene function.
On the other hand, we intend to study the epigenetic/epigenomic mechanisms that may be involved both in the neurobehavioral differences between RHA and RLA rats and in the changes produced in their profiles by early experience.
