School of Life Sciences
One of the key findings of this team was to identify neuronal cell adhesion molecules, which play a crucial role in the establishment of neuronal contacts, as relevant targets of stress in brain regions involved in emotion and cognition. They further showed that pharmacological treatment with small peptides acting on cell adhesion molecules can improve cognitive function and induce recovery from stress effects, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting these molecules. Currently, the lab is primarily concerned with understanding the regulation of social behaviors and the societal implications of stress effects. Their findings have revealed a strong influence of stress in the establishment of social hierarchies, social motivation and aggressive behaviors, identified changes in the dynamics of brain activity, and the expression of genes critically involved in neurotransmission among the underlying mechanisms. Their work questions classical theories in the field of violence, which place major emphasis on cultural influences and social learning, by implicating biological factors in the link between early life stress and the emergence of violent individuals as well as the transgenerational transmission of violence. Prof. Carmen SANDI Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics lgc.epfl.ch