Education

B.A., Biology, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 1998
Ph.D., Neuroscience, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2004
FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, 2005-2007

Research Statement

Since joining the FIRST program in September 2005, I've had several accomplishments. I was awarded an individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Health in February 2006 to fund my research on the effects of stress on cerebral vasculature. In addition, I received an International Neuroendocrine Travel Award to travel to the International Congress on Neuroendocrinology to present a poster entitled, "Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases CRF R1 receptor binding," in June of 2006. I also published a focus article with my research mentor in the journal "Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism," which is entitled, "Reduced glucocorticoid receptors: consequence or cause of depression?" In addition, I submitted two scientific abstracts and two teaching abstracts for presentation at the Society for Neuroscience Conference which will take place in October 2006.

Grant Support

National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
New Investigator Award
Program Area: Mood Disorders\Unipolar\Cardiovascular Disease
Project Starts: July 1, 2007 (2 years)
Dr. Neigh will investigate the underlying neurobiology of late-life depression that is associated with vascular disease. Evidence of mini-strokes in the brain is correlated with depression in the elderly, but it is unknown whether vascular changes are involved or are an unrelated but co-occurring event. Using a rat model, Dr. Neigh and her colleagues will seek to determine if multiple mini-strokes cause depression, and whether stress increases depression following mini-strokes. Magnetic resonance imaging will be used to identify size and location of brain tissue damaged by the strokes. This information will be compared with information collected from human patients.

Recent Publications

Neigh, G.N., Karelina, K., Zhang, N., Glasper, E.R., Owens, M.J., Plotsky, P.M., Nemeroff, C.B., DeVries, A.C.  (2009) Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation dysregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2009 Jun 24. [Epub ahead of print]

Neigh, G.N., Nemeroff, C.B.  (in press) Neuroendocrinology.  In: Gelder, Med. New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry.  2nd ed. Oxford University Press; 2009.

Devries, A.C., Craft, T.K., Glasper, E.R., Neigh, G.N., Alexander, J.K. (2007) 2006 Curt P. Richter award winner: Social influences on stress responses and health. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 32(6):587-603.

Nemeroff, C.B., Neigh, G.N. (2006) Response to rubin and carroll and van den eede et Al. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 17(10):387.

Neigh, G.N. and Nemeroff, C.B.  (2006) Reduced glucocorticoid receptors: consequence or cause of depression? Trends Endocrinol Metab. 17(4):124-125.

Neigh, G.N., Glasper, E., Bilbo, S.D., Traystman, R.J., DeVries, A.C. (2005) Cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonary resuscitation augments cell-mediated immune function and transiently suppresses humoral immune function. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.

Pyter, L.M., Neigh, G.N., and Nelson, R.J. (2005) Social environment modulates photoperiodic immune and reproductive responses in adult male white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). American Journal of Physiology: Comparative & Integrative, 288:R891-6.

Neigh, G.N., Samulsson, A., Bowers, S.L., Nelson, R.J. (2005) 3-Aminobenzamide prevents restraint-evoked immunosuppression. Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 19:351-356.

Neigh, G.N., Bowers, S.L., Korman, B., Nelson, R.J. (2005) Housing environment alters cell-mediated immune function and corticosterone concentrations. Animal Welfare, 14:000-000.

Gatien, M.L., Hotchkiss, A.K., Neigh, G.N., Dhabhar, F., Nelson, R.J. (2004) Immune and stress responses in C57Bl/6 and C3H mouse strains following photoperiod manipulation. Neuroendocrinology Letters, 25:267-272.

Hotchkiss, A.K., Pyter, L.M., Neigh, G.N., Nelson, R.J. (2004) Nycthemeral differences in response to restraint stress in CD-1 and C57BL/6J mice. Physiology and Behavior, 80:441- 447.

Neigh, G.N., Arnold, H.M., Rabenstein, R.L., Sarter, M., Bruno, J.P. (2004) Neuronal activity in the nucleus accumbens is necessary for performance-related increases in cortical acetylcholine release. Neuroscience, 123:635-645.

Neigh, G.N., Bilbo, S.D., Hotchkiss, A.K., Nelson, R.J. (2004) Exogenous pyruvate prevents stress-evoked suppression of mitogen-stimulated proliferation. Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 18:425-433.

Neigh, G.N., Bowers, S.L., Pyter, L.M., Gatien, M.L., Nelson, R.J. (2004) Pyruvate prevents restraint-induced immunosuppression via alterations in glucocorticoid responses. Endocrinology, 145:4309-4319

Neigh, G.N., Glasper, E., Kofler, J., Traystman, R.J., Mervis, R., Bachstatter, A., DeVries, A.C. (2004) Cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonary resuscitation selectively alters formation of spatial memory and abates dendritic spines of CA1 pyramidal cells. European Journal of Neuroscience, 20:1865-1872.

Neigh, G.N., Kofler, J., Meyers, J.L., Traystman, R.J., Bergdall, V., La Perle, K., DeVries, A.C. (2004) Cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases anxiety-like behavior and decreases social interaction. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 24:372-382.

Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
4003 Woodruff Memorial Bldg.
Atlanta, GA 30322
Tel: 404.727.9022
Fax: 404.727.3233
Email: gretchen.neigh@emory.edu