The Engin lab seeks to improve our understanding of the genetic, brain circuit-level, and behavioral disruptions observed in stress-related disorders—such as anxiety and mood disorders—with the ultimate goal of assisting in the identification of novel prevention and treatment strategies.

Anxiety and mood disorders are estimated to affect more than 40 percent of Americans at some point in their lives, and for many, throughout their lives. Current treatments are only partially effective in improving the symptoms and have multiple undesirable side effects. The efforts to develop new treatments based on the underlying genetics is fraught with the complexity of multiple risk genes interacting with each other and the environment. Thus, an understanding of how multiple factors may converge on similar disruptions in brain circuits to generate specific symptoms would open up avenues to intervene at the most meaningful level to reverse the disruptions. Dr. Engin and her lab are particularly interested in the role of disruptions in inhibitory neurotransmission in anxiety and mood disorders.  To study this, the members of the Engin lab use mice as an experimental system and integrate mouse genetics, molecular, histochemical, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches. Some of the laboratory’s early findings indicate the role of specific GABAA receptors in specific brain circuits in shaping anxiety and certain cognitive processes that are impaired in depression.