Susan Wood

Susan Wood, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience at the School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia. Her research focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms of stress susceptibility, particularly the interplay between neuroinflammation, stress, and mental and cardiovascular health.

• B.S., Biopsychology, University of Michigan
• Ph.D., Pharmacology, University of Michigan
• Postdoctoral, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
• Postdoctoral, Stress Neurobiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Dr. Wood's research investigates how inflammatory processes in the brain, particularly within monoaminergic nuclei and the central amygdala, contribute to individual differences in vulnerability to social stress. Her work emphasizes sex differences, showing that females exhibit heightened susceptibility to stress-related disorders, and explores the role of ovarian hormones like estrogen in modulating stress responses. She employs rodent models to study neuroimmune signaling, the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system, and behavioral outcomes of social defeat.

Her recent publications reveal trends in understanding the comorbidity of depression and cardiovascular disease through neuroinflammatory pathways. Key themes include microglial activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, cytokine signaling, and the modulation of stress responses by sex hormones. Her work bridges neuroscience, immunology, and psychiatry, aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Dr. Wood has been recognized with scientific awards including the American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant and the NARSAD Young Investigator Award. These support her ongoing projects on cytokine regulation, stress susceptibility in females, and estrogen-mediated mechanisms.

• Advancing understanding of comorbid depression and cardiovascular disease
• Identifying neuroinflammatory pathways in female stress susceptibility
• Examining estrogen’s role in stress vulnerability
• Mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in neuroscience research

Dr. Wood leads an active research lab comprising postdoctoral fellows, research specialists, and graduate students. Her team investigates the functional role of locus coeruleus microglia, neuroimmune signaling, and behavioral consequences of social stress, contributing significantly to the field of stress neurobiology.