The role of stress-induced epigenetic modification to Nrf2 in the biology of depression

This project will explore the role of stress-induced epigenetic modifications to nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NFE2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the biology of depression. I will utilise an established cellular model of the human foetal brain, to derive mechanistic understanding of how stress may impact this pathway during prenatal development, which may predispose to depression later on in life. In addition, I will use information derived from human datasets, including genomics, neuroimaging, neuropsychological and clinical assessments, to investigate the relationship between DNA methylation at the NFE2L2 locus and symptoms of depression, enabling me to validate cellular findings in human population samples.