Kelly P. Cosgrove, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry, radiology and biomedical imaging, and neuroscience, has been awarded a 2016 NARSAD Independent Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
She will examine the glucocorticoid system in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to healthy controls by measuring the enzyme 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), which catalyzes the conversion of cortisone to cortisol, with positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging.
The grant is for two years, beginning September 15.
Cosgrove is trained as a clinical psychologist, and has worked with people who suffer from tobacco and drug addiction. She uses PET imaging to gain insights into the brains of people after they have stopped using alcohol and tobacco.
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is dedicated to identifying the causes, improving treatments, and developing prevention strategies for mental illnesses that affect an overwhelming one-in-four people in the United States. All donor contributions for research are invested in NARSAD grants.