The National Institute of Mental Health $2.1M grant: Neuroscience professor Linda Rinaman funded to study brainstem neurons involved in threat-induced emotional responses

This 5-year research project will reveal the neural circuit connectivity and behavioral function of chemically-identified brainstem neurons that act to increase threat-induced emotional responses, akin to symptoms of anxiety in humans. The project uses a new transgenic rat model to target two specific groups of hindbrain neurons that express glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) and project to the limbic forebrain. Given evidence that brainstem GLP1 neurons and limbic GLP1 receptors are similar in rats and humans, results from this basic science project have potential translational relevance for understanding the neurobiological bases of normal threat responses and pathological anxiety responses in humans.