# Determining the impact of early adversity on the developing vertebrate brain

> **NIH NIH R15** · FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $457,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
In humans, chronic stress in children and adolescents has long lasting and debilitating effects that persist well
into adulthood. Victims of childhood trauma have increased susceptibility to develop anxiety disorders such as
post-traumatic stress (PTSD), increased propensity to substance abuse, hyper-aggression, and, in some cases,
psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Despite the prevalence of childhood trauma, little is known about
how early life adversity impacts the development and function of the brain. This proposal utilizes a novel model
of early life adversity (ELA) in the developmental and molecular neurogenetic system, the zebrafish. We will
examine the impacts of ELA on hormonal, neuronal and genetic factors underlying brain development, and study
how they are altered by ELA. The study utilizes powerful tools and approaches established in zebrafish, including
whole-brain imaging of neuroanatomy and neuronal activity, transgenic reporters of glucocorticoid singling, and
genetic screening using CRISPR/Cas9 technology at multiple developmental time points. Because of the high
homology of genes and neuronal circuits underlying stress between fish and humans, we expect the findings
from this study to reveal critical insight into what biological effects childhood trauma has on the developing brain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10580285
- **Project number:** 1R15MH132057-01
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Erik Rolando Duboue
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $457,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-20 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10580285

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10580285, Determining the impact of early adversity on the developing vertebrate brain (1R15MH132057-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10580285. Licensed CC0.

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