Research
The focus of the Corbitt lab is behavioral neuroendocrinology (the interaction of hormones, brain, and behavior), with particular interest in the effects of environmental signals on the central nervous system. These signals include:
-
hormonally-active pesticides and their effects on the brain regions that control singing in songbirds
-- an adult male Dark-Eyed Junco --
- phytoestrogens in diet and their effects on memory and neuroprotection in a rodent model of postmenopausal women
-- staining rat brain sections to test for neuroprotection --
- social cues
-- a very large litter of mouse pups (14!) --
Recent work has included a clinical study investigating the timing of multiple sclerosis symptoms in women (link), measures of anxiety-like behavior in transgenic mice, and effects of prenatal exposure to arsenic in drinking water on reproductive behavior and testicular gene expression in mice. We have also expanded our focus from the CNS to include other targets, such as lung, liver, and kidney.
-- rat lung stained with trichrome for collagen --