Through a series of innovative concepts, tools and techniques, we seek to understand and characterize the molecular mechanisms, cellular circuits, and behavioral correlates, associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders and their treatments.
Photo: Microsoft Stock ImagesNeSTED (the Working Group of Neuropharmacology and Stress/Trauma Exposure during Development), is an international research network with the aim of understanding the effects of stress and trauma during critical developmental periods. The network is composed of research groups from different complementary disciplines, ranging from preclinical to clinical and epidemiological research.
Photo: Joseph Mucira. Pixabay
Using wild-type and genetically modified animal models, our research programme tackles psychiatrically-relevant questions such as:
Our strategy consists of implementing a combination of novel, automated, and high-throughput behavioral and molecular experimental approaches to:
To achieve these objectives our laboratory implements a wide range of techniques, such as (a) state-of-the-art transcriptomics, including “bulk” and single-cell resolution, (b) behavioral mouse models of stress and anxiety, (c) automated behavioral tracking and analysis systems of complex behaviors for groups of mice, (d) diverse transgenic mouse models, and (e) viral-mediated gene manipulations in behaving mice.
For information about ongoing research projects, please email Juan Pablo Lopez at jpablo.lopez@ki.se.
Mailing address: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neuroscience, 171 77 Stockholm
Visiting address (visitors, couriers, etc.): Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Quarter D7, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna
Delivery address (goods, parcels, etc.): Biomedicum, Tomtebodavägen 16, 171 65 Solna
About me: I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. I received my undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Biology from Florida International University (Miami, USA), my PhD from McGill University (Montreal, Canada), and a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (Munich, Germany). I am interested in understanding and characterizing the molecular mechanisms, cellular circuits, and complex behaviors, associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders and their treatments, using animal models. When I am not working in the lab, I love spending time with family, smoking meats (BBQ) for friends, hiking in the mountains, and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
About me: Hi, I’m Paula. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I received my PhD from Buenos Aires University under Fernanda Ledda's supervision. In 2017, I moved to Sweden to pursue a Postdoc at Karolinska Institutet with Prof. Francois Lallemend. In 2024, I joined the Lopez Lab as a Research Specialist. I am motivated by its innovative research approach for a better understanding of stress-related psychiatric disorders and their treatments. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, doing as many outdoor activities as possible, when the weather here in Sweden allows it. I am always up for a chat about science and or a friendly conversation.
About me: I'm Fatemeh, a hold a PhD in Exercise Physiology. Currently, I am a research assistant in the Lopez Laboratory. I am interested in exploring neurochemical and molecular markers in animal models of stress and anxiety. When I'm not immersed in scientific pursuits, I find joy in photography. Writing literary texts and poetry has been a cherished activity of mine since I was 9 years old. Additionally, I am deeply passionate about engaging in various sports activities.
About me: My name is Serena, I am currently a PhD student at KI, and hold a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from the University of Bologna. My PhD project focuses on understanding the behavioral language, molecular mechanisms, and cellular circuits responsible for the fast-acting and sustained antidepressant effects of psychedelic compounds, using mouse models of chronic stress. When I'm not in the lab, I like spending time in nature, playing the guitar and doing yoga.
About me: I am Xiuqi, and I hold a joint MSc in Molecular Techniques in Life Science from KTH, Karolinska Institute, and Stockholm University. I am currently a research assistant in the Lopez Lab. I am interested in understanding how exposure to stress during adolescence can affect susceptibility or resilience to stress later in life. I have a strong interest in applying and developing bioinformatics methods to biomedical and disease research. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, spending time in nature, and am enthusiastic about film and music.
About me: My name is Nicole and I have always had a great love for science with a dream to pursue a career in research. From Stockholm University, I hold a MSc in neurochemistry with molecular neurobiology, with a focus on neuroendocrinology. In the Lopez lab, I am interested in investigating how early life adversity can shape our brains and behavior later in life. When I’m not present in the lab, I’m most certainly in the studio writing music, reading books or hanging out with my friends.
About me: I am a Master student in the ‘Translational Physiology and Pharmacology’ program at KI. In the Lopez lab, I am contributing to a machine-learning project aimed at automatically tracking the behaviour of groups of laboratory animals (mice and pigs) treated with novel and rapid-acting antidepressants, in a semi-naturalistic environment. In my spare time, you can find me in nature, where I am enjoying a good book or hiking.
About me: I am Cheng. I am a student in the Master’s Programme of Translational Physiology and Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. In the Lopez lab, I assist in the validation of machine-learning prediction models and the annotation of videos of mice displaying behaviors of interest. During my spare time, I enjoy doing sports such as basketball and table tennis. Meanwhile, I like spending time playing video games and watching anime.
About me: My name is Choham and I am a second-year master’s student at the ENS de Lyon. My internship at the Lopez Lab involves expanding the use of the complex analytical tools of the lab to larger cohorts of freely moving mice. These tools are designed to study the behavior of mouse models of stress. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing the saxophone, and exchanging ideas with my friends. I also like to discover new places and learn new languages.
About me: I am undertaking an introductory research course here at KI alongside my studies in the medical program. In the Lopez lab, I assist in optimizing behavior detection in freely moving groups of mice within an enriched environment by annotating videos containing multiple behaviors of interest. During my free time, I enjoy participating in outdoor activities and further exploring Stockholm.
About me: I'm a second-year medical student at KI with a growing enthusiasm for research. Currently, I am contributing to an engaging project focused on machine learning-assisted behavioral phenotyping in mice. In this capacity I identify behaviors, in hopes of providing insights to the research team's efforts. When I'm not immersed in my academic pursuits, I find joy in the company of friends and my girlfriend. Additionally, I have a passion for sports such as football and table tennis, as well as strategic games like chess and board games.
About me: I'm a second-year medical student at KI with a growing enthusiasm for research. Currently, I am contributing to an engaging project focused on machine learning-assisted behavioral phenotyping in mice. In this capacity I identify behaviors, in hopes of providing insights to the research team's efforts. When I'm not immersed in my academic pursuits, I find joy in the company of friends and my girlfriend. Additionally, I have a passion for sports such as football and table tennis, as well as strategic games like chess and board games.
2023
2022
