A major focus of the research program in the Maguire Lab involves elucidating the physiological, pathological, and pharmacological mechanisms mediating transitions between network and behavioral states. Ongoing projects focus on the role of GABAergic interneurons in coordinating network activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and identifying inputs onto these neurons which can exert control over the network and the communication of behavioral outputs. We are investigating the pharmacological (alcohol and neurosteroids), pathological (epilepsy), and context-dependent (stress) transitions between network and behavioral states. Our research involves a systems-level approach, investigating the impact of stress, a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction on networks implicated in mood. Our goal is to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to disease in an effort to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention.