Understanding how stress affects young people
Official title: Psychological stress susceptibility in juvenile female and male mice
Funded at University of Texas El Paso · NIH-11105909 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how stress affects young male and female mice to better understand why depression often starts in adolescence and affects girls more than boys.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas El Paso NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (El Paso, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $153,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM145552-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11105909 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
While this specific project uses animal models, future human studies stemming from this work would likely seek adolescents experiencing or at risk for mood-related illnesses.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not experiencing or at risk for mood-related illnesses would not directly benefit from this particular line of basic science research.
What this research studies
Depression is a leading health concern for young people, and it affects girls twice as often as boys, especially during adolescence. Current research often overlooks these differences by mainly studying adult male animals. This project uses a special stress model in young male and female mice to better understand how stress impacts their behavior, mimicking symptoms of depression. By doing this, we hope to uncover the brain changes that make young people vulnerable to depression, taking into account both age and sex.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent and treat depression in adolescents, tailored to individual needs.
How similar studies have gone: This project uses a novel and innovative approach to study stress and depression in juvenile animals, building on existing knowledge but with a unique focus on age and sex differences.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas El Paso
El Paso, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Iniguez, Sergio Diaz — University of Texas El Paso
- Study coordinator: Iniguez, Sergio Diaz
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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.