معرفی
Professor Megan Holmes holds a Personal Chair in Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, where she leads groundbreaking research at the intersection of neuroscience and cardiovascular health. Her work focuses on stress physiology and its lifelong implications for cardiometabolic and cognitive disorders.
Research Focus: Holmes investigates the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis (HPA axis), distinguishing between adaptive 'Good Stress' responses and maladaptive 'Bad Stress' leading to disease. Her primary work examines how glucocorticoid exposure during prenatal/postnatal development programs permanent changes in affective behavior and memory. Additional interests include the brain's role in blood pressure regulation, salt appetite mechanisms, and developmental stress impacts on age-related cognitive decline. Her lab pioneers in vivo imaging techniques including functional MRI for behavioral monitoring and high-resolution ultrasound for feto-placental development.
Mentorship & Infrastructure: She supervises PhD student Rebecca Madden in Translational Neuroscience (CDBS program), developing novel therapies to reverse stress hormone damage. The Megan Holmes Research Group operates within the Cardiometabolic Imaging (CINEMA) theme, utilizing state-of-the-art rodent models and imaging facilities at Edinburgh Bioquarter. Collaborations extend to the Mass Spectrometry Core Facility and Biomarker Lab for comprehensive physiological analysis.
