Bianca Jones Marlin, Ph.D.

Research

My lab will explore the molecular mechanisms by which the effects of trauma can be passed from one generation to the next. Stressful experiences can alter the brain: Animals that are exposed to a particular scent when they experience a mild foot shock, for example, learn to avoid that odor. But studies show that such stressful experiences can also have lasting effects on future generations. In preliminary studies, my work showed that mice conditioned to avoid a stress-associated odor boost the population of olfactory cells that can detect that scent—and so do their offspring, although they themselves never experienced the stress. Now, using advanced techniques in molecular genetics, imaging, RNA sequencing, and behavioral analysis, we will determine how activation of a subset of olfactory neurons can drive their increase in number and how the molecular record of a stressful experience can be passed to the animal’s offspring—potentially via cellular vesicles that carry genetic instructions from the affected olfactory neurons to the developing eggs and sperm. This work could lead to new strategies for preventing or treating disorders triggered by traumatic experiences or stress.