Douglas Stuart Portman, Ph.D.

Genetic Control of Sex Differences in Neurobiology and Disease

Though the existence of two sexes is a fundamental characteristic of nearly all animal species, the way biological sex brings about sex differences in the brain and behavior is poorly understood. Moreover, susceptibility to a host of human neurological and mental health disorders is strongly influenced by gender, but in most cases the biological bases for these differences remain opaque. Our research uses a simple, experimentally tractable model system--the small soil nematode C. elegans--to shed light on the genetic underpinnings of sex differences in neural development, behavior, and disease susceptibility.

For more information, please visit the lab website at: http://wormweb.urmc.rochester.edu/