Abstract
Whether through a family member with depression, a friend with anxiety, or in our own life, psychiatric disorders likely have affected all of us. Intrigued by their prevalence and complexity, scientists have spent decades trying to understand what causes psychiatric disorders and how to help people affected by them. These scientific efforts pinpointed a small difference in the blueprint of cells that was linked to a large variety of psychiatric disorders - this link was found in a gene called CACNA1C. My laboratory's research studies this gene's job in brain cells. Our work has shown that CACNA1C plays a pivotal role in life and death of brain cells that may open new treatment pathways for psychiatric diseases.
How to Cite:
Noterman, M., (2017) “The Missing Link”, Synthesis: A Digital Journal of Student Science Communication 1(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/2643-8410.1008
Rights: Copyright © 2017 Maria Noterman