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Dr. Kalynchuk and her research team will use an animal model to determine whether or not environmental enrichment can work against depression. Depression is a debilitating illness that affects up to 20% of the population. The effects from this illness have profound economic and social impacts on society. Stress is often associated as an important risk factor for depression however, not all individuals exposed to stress suffer from depression. Recent research has shown that individual differences in vulnerability of depression may be brought on by early life experiences. More specifically, the research indicates that the quality of maternal care influences the development of mood disorders that are precipitated by stressful events. This research will study this concept further using an animal model to determine if environmental enrichment later in life can reverse the susceptibility of depression.

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