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Recent evidence linking neuropsychiatric disorders and inflammation is gaining traction and revealing new avenues for treatment options. Paula's research focuses on examining the interplay between inflammation and depression and how serotonin may be mediating this interaction. Serotonin is found throughout the body, but in the brain it is responsible for regulating your mood, sleep, and learning to name a few. Serotonin neurons are capable of responding to inflammatory signals, unlike many other neurons. Disruptions in serotonin signaling have already been implicated in the development of depression and we see depressive-like symptoms in response to inflammation, as well. Paula is working to elucidate the effect that inflammation has on serotonin neuron signaling and determine on a circuit-specific level the regions involved in the development of depressive-related behaviors.