J M H M Reul

Professor J M H M Reul serves as Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Bristol's Bristol Medical School (THS), leading the Neuro-Epigenetics of Stress and Cognition Research Group within Bristol Neuroscience. Holding a Ph.D. from Utrecht University, his work bridges molecular neuroscience and stress physiology.

His primary research focuses on stress response mechanisms, investigating how epigenetic and genomic processes in the brain regulate stress-related learning, memory formation, and HPA axis function. Key areas include corticosteroid receptor signaling in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus, adult neurogenesis, and the neurobiological impact of voluntary exercise on stress coping. His lab employs advanced techniques including chromatin-immunoprecipitation, next-generation sequencing, and behavioral models like Morris water maze and contextual fear conditioning.

Analysis of recent publications reveals consistent focus on corticosteroid receptor interactions with brain genomes, particularly examining mineralocorticoid/glucocorticoid receptor dynamics in stress adaptation. Current work emphasizes sex differences in stress responses and epigenomic regulation of cognitive behavior.

As Principal Investigator, he has led 8 major research projects since 2017, including ongoing work on sex differences in stress-induced corticosteroid receptor interactions (2021-2024) and epigenetic regulation in the dentate gyrus (2020-2023). His research group maintains key collaborations with Professor James Uney (University of Bristol) and Dr. Jon Mill (King's College London).

The Neuro-Epigenetics of Stress and Cognition Research Group operates within Bristol Neuroscience, utilizing specialized facilities for immuno-fluorescence analysis and lentiviral technology. The group has produced 132 research outputs including high-impact publications in Nature Communications and Journal of Endocrinology, with significant attention from news outlets and social media.