Gene environment interaction effects of genetic variability and early life stress on psychosocial stress reactivity

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Anett Müller-Alcazar
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2010 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 167962669

The individual differences in the predisposition to experience social stress make it difficult to predict an individual’s health risks and to generate appropriate interventions. These individual differences are driven by genetic and environmental factors and their interactions, which at the present are poorly understood. Social stress is also associated with abnormal cortisol secretion, impaired immune system response to anti-inflammatory signals, cancer, and heart disease. Therefore, in this study healthy volunteers 18 years of age or older with no history of psychopathology will be tested using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to examine individual differences in cortisol release to acute social stress, as a function of genetic variation and early life stress history. The aim of the study is to understand molecular mechanisms that affect behavior and moreover, to investigate interactions between early life stress and polymorphisms in each of two a priori genes of interest (brainderived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; serotonin transporter, 5-HTTLPR).

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Turhan Canli