Jordan Marrocco, PhD
Dr. Jordan Marrocco’s GENESYS Lab investigates how genes and environmental experiences interact with neuroendocrine systems to regulate brain function, behavior, and mental health across the lifespan. Our research integrates systems neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, molecular biology, and epigenomics in animal models to uncover the biological mechanisms through which stress exposure becomes embedded in the brain and influences mental health over time. A central goal of the lab is to bridge mechanistic neuroscience with clinically relevant questions in psychiatry and psychology, with a particular emphasis on stress-related disorders, developmental processes, and individual differences in mental health outcomes.
Research Program
Stress Neurobiology and Neuroendocrine Regulation of Brain Function
The GENESYS Lab examines how different types of stress reshape brain structure and function through neuroendocrine signaling pathways, with a focus on glucocorticoid regulation. We study how stress hormones influence hippocampal and limbic circuitry to modulate cognition, emotion, and adaptive behavior, and how dysregulation of these systems contributes to brain function.
Genes × Environment Interactions and Epigenomic Mechanisms of Mental Health
We investigate how stress exposures become biologically embedded in neural systems, and how genetic background controls long-term patterns of gene expression and neural function. Using molecular, genomic, and behavioral approaches, the lab seeks to identify genomic regulatory pathways through which stress regulates mental health across the lifespan.
Translational and Precision Approaches to Stress-Related Psychopathology
The GENESYS Lab translates mechanistic insights into clinically relevant frameworks for understanding and treating depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. We place strong emphasis on biological heterogeneity and developmental periods to inform precision approaches for prevention and intervention in mental illness.
Mission
The mission of the GENESYS Lab is to define how stress and environmental experiences are biologically embedded through neuroendocrine, genomic, and epigenomic mechanisms to structure brain health and psychiatric outcomes across the lifespan. Through interdisciplinary research and a collaborative framework, we aim to identify mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability that can inform novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Training Environment
The GENESYS Lab is committed to training the next generation of scientists at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. Trainees are encouraged to develop rigorous experimental and analytical skills while pursuing independent research questions spanning molecular neuroscience, stress biology, and translational mental health research. The lab fosters a collaborative, intellectually open environment that prioritizes critical thinking, methodological rigor, and scientific innovation.
