Dr Tertia Deborah Purves-Tyson

Research Interests: My research focuses on the molecular/mechanistic understanding of how sex steroid signaling and neuroinflammation interact and contribute to striatal and cortical modulation of dopamine and how dopamine-related behaviours (psychotic-like symptoms, memory and cognition) are altered by sex steroids in male and female rats of different ages. The goal is to transfer this knowledge to human studies to develop or enhance sex steroid based and immune-related treatments for the cognitive and psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia in an age and gender specific manner. Current projects - The role of neuroinflammation and neurotransmitter systems in the improved cognition induced by estrogen receptor modulation - Unlocking midbrain microglia as treatment targets for dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia - Effect of estrogen receptor modulation and oxytocin on primary microglia - Neuroinflammatory changes associated with dopamine neurons in mammalian brain - Dysregulation of stress-related signalling in the midbrain in schizophrenia schizophrenia, neuroinflammation, microglia, dopamine, oxytocin, estrogen receptor, testosterone, maternal immune activation, neurotrophins, mental illness, preclinical, stress