How stress changes the brain and body and contributes to health gaps
Effects of Stress on Brain and Physiological Pathways to Health Disparities
Researchers will see how recalling personal experiences of economic hardship or interpersonal aggression changes brain, hormonal, and emotional responses in adults to help explain links to anxiety, depression, and chronic disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Medford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11123448 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to recall specific personal experiences of economic hardship or interpersonal aggression while researchers measure your brain activity, stress hormones, and emotional responses. The team will use established lab tasks and brain imaging alongside physiological measures to compare reactions to different types of stress. They plan to include adults from communities with higher exposure to these stressors to understand how repeated stress may alter brain and body responses. The aim is to link those changes to risks for depression, anxiety, heart disease, and diabetes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (21+) willing to share personal experiences of economic or interpersonal stress and to undergo brain imaging and physiological testing.
Not a fit: People without a history of significant stress exposure or those unable or unwilling to participate in brain imaging and physiological testing may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to more precise ways to prevent or reduce stress-related mental and physical illnesses by targeting specific brain and body pathways.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies show stress alters brain activity and stress hormones, but applying these paradigms to explain health disparities across diverse populations is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, UNITED STATES
- Tufts University Medford — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shin, Lisa Marie — Tufts University Medford
- Study coordinator: Shin, Lisa Marie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.