Doctoral student Bridgitte Côté has been awarded a $67,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of chronic stress on the brain as part of her research with mentors Dr. Matthew Hearing and Dr. Robert Wheeler.

Côté is pursuing her Ph.D. in neuroscience after completing her undergraduate degree at Arizona State University. This is her first research grant.

“It was surreal given all of the current changes happening at the National Institutes of Health,” Côté says. “I was discouraged when the review process kept being pushed back. When I got the approval notification, I was relieved and very excited.”

Côté’s research project focuses on the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in negative experiences and will take her through the end of her dissertation research.

“Usually, when people talk about dopamine, we think of pleasure, reward or motivation,” she says. “My research is specifically looking at subpopulations of dopamine-sensitive cells that we think play a key role in signaling about an aversive event. These cells are involved in in-the-moment responses to bad things, but they also seem to be important for how we respond to more long-term, chronic stress.”

Wheeler says he is excited about the research Côté has developed because it is an important, logical extension of his laboratory’s efforts at understanding the neural basis of emotion and affect, and showcases her potential to eventually lead her own research team.

“Since joining the lab, Bridgitte has rapidly developed into an excellent researcher and this award is validation that she is well on her way to becoming an independent scientist,” Wheeler says. “Having worked closely with Bridgitte on related projects I have every confidence that she will successfully guide this project.” Côté’s grant will run through the end of next year.