Welcome to Cheryl Conrad’s research webpage.  Scientific advances in this lab are accomplished through an amazing group of individuals and we have fun too! This photo was the product of Alyssa Campbell's expertise. We hiked to the top of "A" mountain and you can view some of the ASU Tempe campus to the left... Please note-this photo was taken in the middle of January and yes, the weather is beautiful! Clockwise from back at left: Jeffery Hanna, Bryce Ortiz, Annie Hoffman, Sara Taylor, Nick Lorson, and Amanda Krigbaum. In front from left are Alyssa Campbell, Aggie Mika and Cheryl Conrad. We accomplish much though the hard work and dedication of many individuals: graduate students, technicians, undergraduate research volunteers, honor’s students, and collaborations with other faculty and scientists.

The purpose of our research is to understand the consequences of chronic stress on the brain and behavior.  Chronic stress has far reaching effects, from exacerbating conditions that include AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, obesity, and autoimmune disorders, to triggering drug relapse.  The studies performed in our lab specifically investigate the morphological and functional changes in the hippocampus following chronic stress.  In rodents, chronic stress makes the hippocampus vulnerable to brain injury and cognitive dysfunction.  A highly consistent change in the hippocampus following chronic stress is the selective pruning of dendrites, a specialized region of neurons that facilitates communication among neurons.  Thus, our studies investigate the mechanism(s) that underlie changes in hippocampal dendritic morphology following chronic stress to facilitate treatment strategies for cognitive improvement.

Please check the side bar for more links on our webpage