Guest Editors
Matteo Di Segni
Child Psychopathology Unit, IRCCS, Bosisio Parini, Italy
<p>Dr. Di Segni was trained as an experimental psychologist during his MD in Psychology (Cognitive Neurosciences and Psychological Rehabilitation) followed by a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience (Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology), where his research focused on preclinical animal models. His research activity is mainly related to psychopathologies linked to motivation, evaluating functional and structural neurobiological substrates mediating pathological phenotypes, and the epigenetic mechanisms underlying individual differences in developing psychopathology. Of specific interest is in the role of environmental factors, particularly related to early life experiences, such as bonds with caregivers and relationships with siblings, in shaping the future responses to both positive and negative salient stimuli. </p><p>During his career, Dr. Di Segni had the opportunity to collaborate with several contemporaries from various institutions and backgrounds, leading to an interest in a multidisciplinary approach to developing animal models that can provide high bidirectional translational potential with clinical studies. </p>
Rossella Ventura
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
<p>Dr. Ventura's research interests include behavioral, neurochemical, and molecular mechanisms associated with resilience and vulnerability to psychopathologies induced by early and adult stress exposure, with a specific focus on the role of deregulation of non-coding RNAs in psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction, anxiety, and affective disorders. She worked as a researcher in the Dept. of Psychology, at L’Aquila, Italy from 2005 through 2012. Following this, since 2012, she's worked as Associate Prof., Dept. of Psychology at Sapienza University. She also served as Team leader of the Psychobiology Lab at the Dept. of Psychology at Sapienza University. </p><p>Dr. Ventura became a licensed Psychologist in 2001. She won the 'Young Res' grant at the Dept. of Psychology at Sapienza University in 2002. She qualified to the full professor rank in 2015.</p>
Lucy Babicola
IRCSS, Santa Lucia Foundation
<p>Dr. Babicola started studying Psychology at the University of L'Aquila during her Bachelor's (Applied Psychological Sciences) and Master's (Applied Clinical and Health Psychology) degrees. Following her Master's thesis internship in Rome, she decided to attend Sapienza University of Rome to obtain her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience (Behavioral Neurophysiology curriculum). Throughout her career, Dr. Babicola has focused on understanding how the brain responds and adapts to environmental stimuli. As in physiological adjustments necessary in daily life, such as motor coordination or psychopathological consequences due to adaptation to stressful experiences (either in early or late life experience), the preclinical model allowed ḥer the opportunity to investigate the neurophysiological, neurochemical, and behavioral consequences. Dr. Babicola's current focus is on brain modifications associated with environmental enrichment, and their role in ameliorating disabilities caused by neurodevelopment disorders mimicked in preclinical models. Additionally, she is interested in identifying potential epigenetic modifications associated with them, which can be useful in identifying potential biomarkers for clinical interventions.</p>
Camilla Mancini
University of Camerino, Italy
<p>Dr. Mancini obtained her bachelor's degree in psychology and health, followed by a master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychological rehabilitation at Sapienza University. During these years, she developed a deep passion for research, particularly preclinical research, which led her to pursue a PhD in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Camerino. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Mancini was able to delve into and investigate the biological underpinnings of psychopathology induced by early life adversities in preclinical models in collaboration with the Psychobiology Lab at Sapienza University. Comprehending how the brain reacts and adjusts to environmental stimuli represents one of her main goals. Currently, Dr. Mancini continues to work in this field, driven by a desire to unravel the complexities of mental health and contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge. </p>
Collection Overview
For most species, the fetal, perinatal, and postnatal stages are the most sensitive phases of life. The developing brain's neuronal plasticity, synaptic organization, and remodeling allow the organism to adapt and respond to external and internal factors and program responses to similar and different life events. The resulting brain trajectories drive future responses to adversities and affect the susceptibility or resilience to neuropsychiatric disorders later in life.
Relationships with caregivers and siblings influence early life experiences in all altricial species. Clinical studies have evidenced that critical early-life experiences can compromise emotional growth and motivation by altering the function of developing brain circuits, contributing to mental illness.
In recent decades, preclinical studies have emphasized the importance of social environments in early life. These studies have shown that experimental interventions, such as separation, neglect, scarcity, and adoption, which impact the quantity and quality of mother-pup interactions, can have lasting effects on behavior and the brain circuits at various levels (e.g., neurotransmitters, receptors, and plasticity).
This Methods Collection aims to provide experimental procedures for modeling critical early-life experiences mediated by social stimuli in animals that can induce psychopathological phenotypes.
Articles
Abstracts
Microinjection of interleukin-6 into the bloodstream of zebrafish larvae to simulate an inflammatory response
Shivani Dogra1
1Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, The International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines Polish Academy of Sciences