Welcome to the Stewart Lab!

Research in the Stewart Lab focuses on how biological sex shapes monoaminergic neurotransmission (e.g., dopamine and serotonin) and thereby modifies the phenotypic trajectory of underlying risk factors for mental illness. Though virtually all neuropsychiatric conditions display sex biases in terms of prevalence, age of onset, symptomology, or responsiveness to pharmacological interventions, little is known regarding the mechanism(s), either sociocultural or biological, responsible. The Stewart lab seeks to systematically delineate the neural substrates that lie at the intersection of biological/genetic sex and brain function. We are particularly interested in defining the molecular determinants of differential monoaminergic dynamics in males versus females across the neural circuitry subserving motor control, reinforcement learning and habit formation, motivation, cognition, and social behavior. To study how biological sex shapes monoaminergic neurotransmission at the molecular, physiological, and behavioral level we combine in vitro cell culture, ex vivo brain slice culture, and animal behavior analysis with in vivo fiber photometry to monitor neurotransmitter release and reuptake in awake, behaving mice. Ultimately, the goal of the Stewart lab is work toward biological definitions of psychiatric disorders that recognize the modulatory influence of sex and will allow for effective tailoring of therapeutic interventions.