Briana Murphy

My research is being conducted to understand the downstream effects of progesterone-derived neurosteroids on membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs), specifically mPRε. mPRs are a group of five G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that regulate GABAA receptor phosphorylation cascades by regulating receptor surface expression. Allopregnanolone is a progesterone-derived neurosteroid that has been a therapeutic target for post-partum depression and is suspected to have downstream effects activating mPRs. My research will involve studying mPRε-expressing cells and mPRε Knock Out mice, with and without neurosteroids, to better understand the role mPRs play in the treatment of post-partum depression.