Serotonergic multilocus genetic profile interacts with environmental stress to predict depression among adolescents. IDEA Lab research recently accepted into Journal of Psychiatric Research. Our research showed that a multi-variant genetic profile of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms interacted specifically with interpersonal major stressors (and not with other kinds of stressful life events), replicating previous research. This work was completed in collaboration with Suzanne Vrshek-Schallhorn at UNC-Greensboro and Catherine B. Stroud at Williams College.

Negative emotion differentiation insulates adolescents against depression following exposure to naturalistic stressors. New IDEA Lab research published in Emotion. Full text available here.

HPA-Axis multilocus genetic vulnerability moderates the association between interpersonal childhood adversity and stress generation. New research accepted by Development and Psychopathology (lead author: Meghan Huang).

IDEA Lab receives University Research Award

Dr. Starr received a University Research Award from the University of Rochester. The award will add another follow-up to the SEED project, allowing us to follow our adolescent sample into young adulthood.

Congratulations, Irina Li! Irina received an NRSA grant from NIMH to study the interplay between sleep, reward processing, and depressive symptoms. The fellowship will also allow Irina to pursue advance training in sleep research.

IDEA Lab in the media:

http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/feeling-blue-grab-your-friends-and-have-fun-say-researchers-232642/

Psychology Today: How “Daily Uplifts Can Counter Depression: 4 Key Findings from a New Study on Mood

Futurity.org: Good times with friends really can fight depression

 

Congratulations to our award-winning students!

April 2017: Congratulations to undergraduate student Allison Friske, who presented lab data at the UR Undergraduate Expo and was awarded the Professor’s Choice Award!

March 2017: Congratulations to Zoey Shaw, who was named an Honorable Mention for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship!

October 2015: Congratulations to Irina Li for winning the Psi Chi/ APAGS Junior Scientist Fellowship!