YOU ARE INVITED

Please join us for a talk by Dr Rose Bagot on 'Novel mechanisms of resilience in the prefrontal cortex' a seminar brought to you by the School of Medical Sciences.

Dr. Rose Bagot is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University, Montréal, Canada, a Principal Investigator at the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health and the Tier II Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Neurogenomics. Dr Bagot’s research integrates molecular, synaptic and circuit neuroscience techniques with robust mouse behavioral models to examine how experience alters brain and behaviour. Work in her lab focuses on understanding the neural bases of affective processing and how these are altered in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for depression, yet some individuals remain resilient to stress. While research has long focused on mechanisms of depression and stress susceptibility, understanding the mechanisms of resilience holds promise for developing novel mechanistically-informed treatments. The prefrontal cortex is a key brain region implicated in resilience. I will present ongoing research from my lab focusing on both naturally occurring and pharmacologically-induced resilience in prefrontal cortex. We have uncovered a molecularly defined prefrontal cortical neural circuit implicated in natural resilience. Circuit tracing and targeted in vivo manipulation in transgenic mice points to a key role for this circuit in modulating reward sensitivity. Single-cell sequencing identifies a signature of natural resilience that is induced in this circuit in mice that are resilient to chronic stress. I will then discuss new research identifying the cell-type specific mechanisms by which psilocybin, a psychedelic drug with potential antidepressant efficacy, induces sustained changes in prefrontal cortex.

Seminar Date and Time: Monday 11 August 2025, from 3:30pm - 4:30pm.

Seminar Location: Level 6, The MacKenzie Room, Charles Perkins Centre

Join Remotely: For those unable to attend in person, you may join online via Zoom:

https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/89281701110

Meeting ID: 892 8170 1110

Guests are welcome and are encouraged to attend in-person.