Mar Sanchez, Ph.D.

My lab studies the effects of early environment on the development of neural circuits that control stress responses, emotional reactivity and social behavior in nonhuman primates. Our main interest is to understand how early life stress (in particular, the disruption of the mother-infant relationship) affects the development of those brain systems, leading to psychopathology and pathophysiology characteristic of anxiety and mood disorders. We also integrate studies of genetic and social factors that interact with early environment to affect vulnerability to early adversity.  Our multidisciplinary approach bridges different disciplines (stress neurobiology, neuroendocrinology, development, neuroimaging, genetics, primatology, behavior, psychobiology and psychopathology) and supports our collaboration with clinical researchers due to its great translational value for human studies.