Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsChristoph Anacker
About
Research
Publications
2026
Maturation of hippocampus-medial prefrontal cortex projections defines a pathway-specific sensitive period for cognitive flexibility
Cruz-Sanchez A, LaDouceur K, Abdusalom A, Chasiotis H, Gugustea R, Inayat M, Mumtaz U, Hasantash M, Anacker C, Arruda-Carvalho M. Maturation of hippocampus-medial prefrontal cortex projections defines a pathway-specific sensitive period for cognitive flexibility. Cell Reports 2026, 45: 116812. PMID: 41533508, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116812.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMedial prefrontal cortexCognitive flexibilitySensitive periodPrefrontal cortex projectsInfralimbic subregionsPrefrontal cortexAdult cognitionBehavioral profileViral tracingSeptotemporal axisCortex projectUnique contributionsPostnatal dayEarly life influencesDownstream connectionsSynaptic transmissionEfferent projectionsLife influencesHippocampusCognitionChemogeneticsCortexCA1Developmental signaturesSubregionsSex-specific effects of early life adversity on stress reactivity, neuroinflammation, and neuroendocrine function
Thompson R, Dixon R, Malave L, Li Y, Chen C, Anacker C. Sex-specific effects of early life adversity on stress reactivity, neuroinflammation, and neuroendocrine function. Neuroscience Applied 2026, 5: 106440. DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2025.106440.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Complementary roles of dorsal and ventral hippocampus in the flexible adaptation of goal-directed behavior
Hasantash M, Li Y, Torres-Herraez A, Kellendonk C, Anacker C. Complementary roles of dorsal and ventral hippocampus in the flexible adaptation of goal-directed behavior. Science Advances 2025, 11: eadx7514. PMID: 41313759, PMCID: PMC12662218, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adx7514.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDorsal CA1Ventral CA1Flexible adaptationCognitive flexibility taskGoal-directed behaviorDynamically changing environmentHippocampus activityVentral hippocampusFlexibility taskAssociative learningBehavioral updatingHippocampusSeptotemporal axisFunctional inhibitionLearning behaviorCA1Actual outcomesError signalContingencyBehaviorHippocampal SGK1 promotes vulnerability to depression: the role of early life adversity, stress, and genetic risk
Millette A, van Dijk M, Pokhvisneva I, Li Y, Thompson R, Patel S, Bagot R, Naray-Fejes-Toth A, Fejes-Toth G, Silveira P, Turecki G, Lopez J, Anacker C. Hippocampal SGK1 promotes vulnerability to depression: the role of early life adversity, stress, and genetic risk. Molecular Psychiatry 2025, 30: 6079-6089. PMID: 41034507, PMCID: PMC12602343, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03269-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAdverse Childhood ExperiencesAgedAnimalsCorticosteroneDepressionDisease Models, AnimalFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHippocampusHumansImmediate-Early ProteinsMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMiddle AgedNeuronsProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesRisk FactorsStress, PsychologicalSuicideConceptsEarly life adversityLife adversityStress resilienceModel of early life adversityStress-induced behavioral abnormalitiesBlood of depressed patientsMouse model of early life adversityStress-induced psychopathologiesChronic corticosterone exposureCross-species findingsHuman brainAdult hippocampal neurogenesisHuman postmortem brain tissuePostmortem brain tissueDepressed patientsDepression severitySGK1 expressionPolygenic risk scoresPsychiatric disordersSuicide riskHippocampal neurogenesisSuicide attemptsCorticosterone exposureDepressive symptomsABCD studyUnderstanding, predicting, and treating depression in pregnancy to improve mothers' and offspring's mental health outcomes: The HappyMums study
Biaggi A, Zonca V, Anacker C, Begni V, Benedetti F, Bramante A, Braniecka A, Brenna V, Bulgheroni M, Buss C, Cavaliere L, Cecil C, Couch A, de Barra D, Marroun H, Entringer S, Grassi-Oliveira R, Jackowska M, Korosi A, Kwant P, Lahti J, Lekadir K, Mansuy I, Manuella F, Marizzoni M, Meyer U, Monk C, Radoš S, Pariante C, Pollux B, Priestley K, Räikkönen K, Richetto J, Riva M, Rothmann L, Simonetti V, Vai B, Vernon A, Žutić M, Cattaneo A, Consortium H. Understanding, predicting, and treating depression in pregnancy to improve mothers' and offspring's mental health outcomes: The HappyMums study. Brain Behavior & Immunity - Health 2025, 44: 100961. PMID: 40046176, PMCID: PMC11880600, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2025.100961.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPerinatal depressionWomen's qualityOffspring mental health outcomesOffspring riskMonitoring of depressive symptomsMental health outcomesWomen's quality of lifePhysician-diagnosed disordersPre-clinical samplesQuality of lifeHealth outcomesMaternal depressionLifestyle dataDepressive symptomsSocio-DemographicReport symptomsPotential interventionsMental disordersSamples of maternal bloodEarly screeningDepressionModel of prenatal stressEfficacy of potential interventionsWomenNegative developmental outcomes
2024
Sex-specific and developmental effects of early life adversity on stress reactivity are rescued by postnatal knockdown of 5-HT1A autoreceptors
Dixon R, Malave L, Thompson R, Wu S, Li Y, Sadik N, Anacker C. Sex-specific and developmental effects of early life adversity on stress reactivity are rescued by postnatal knockdown of 5-HT1A autoreceptors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 50: 507-518. PMID: 39396089, PMCID: PMC11736140, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01999-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEffects of early life adversityEarly life adversityVentral dentate gyrusAcute swim stressCorticotropin-releasing factorStress reactivityParaventricular nucleusSwim stressLife adversityNeuronal activityModel of early life adversityEarly life adversity effectsIn adulthoodIncreased passive copingSex-specific impairmentsFemale miceSerotonin-1ASerotonin systemNeurobiological mechanismsStress vulnerabilityIncreased microglia activationLimited beddingPassive copingAutoreceptorsCorticosterone levelsSex Differences in Early Life Stress Effects on Fear Generalization are Mediated by Serotonergic Regulation of the Ventral Dentate Gyrus
Anacker C, Malave L, Dixon R. Sex Differences in Early Life Stress Effects on Fear Generalization are Mediated by Serotonergic Regulation of the Ventral Dentate Gyrus. Biological Psychiatry 2024, 95: s12-s13. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.036.Peer-Reviewed Original Research21. How Genes and Environments Modify Intergenerational Risk for Depression – Using Polygenic Scores to Translate Between Rodents and Humans
van Dijk M, Malave L, Pokhvisneva I, Patel S, Kashyap P, Desai K, Cha J, Gameroff M, Posner J, Weissman M, Talati A, Silveira P, Anacker C. 21. How Genes and Environments Modify Intergenerational Risk for Depression – Using Polygenic Scores to Translate Between Rodents and Humans. Biological Psychiatry 2024, 95: s83. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.199.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTAAR1 agonists improve glycemic control, reduce body weight and modulate neurocircuits governing energy balance and feeding
Dedic N, Wang L, Hajos-Korcsok E, Hecksher-Sørensen J, Roostalu U, Vickers S, Wu S, Anacker C, Synan C, Jones P, Milanovic S, Hopkins S, Bristow L, Koblan K. TAAR1 agonists improve glycemic control, reduce body weight and modulate neurocircuits governing energy balance and feeding. Molecular Metabolism 2024, 80: 101883. PMID: 38237896, PMCID: PMC10839149, DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101883.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTrace amine-associated receptor 1Trace amine-associated receptor 1 agonistAntipsychotic drugsEffects of TAAR1 agonistsOlanzapine-induced weight gainDiet-induced obesityReduced body weightFood intakeHigh-fat dietSub-chronic administrationC-Fos protein expressionDiet-induced obese miceImprove glycemic controlRegulators of metabolic controlGlycemic controlGastric emptyingSchizophrenia patientsTAAR1 agonistsHedonic feedingLimbic structuresBody weightMetabolic parametersMouse modelGlucose toleranceWeight gain
2023
Impact of Stress Exposure on Mental and Physical Health across the Life Span: Molecular mechanisms, Neurobiological abnormalities, and Novel Pathways for Intervention
Cattaneo A, Anacker C, Daskalakis N, Riva M. Impact of Stress Exposure on Mental and Physical Health across the Life Span: Molecular mechanisms, Neurobiological abnormalities, and Novel Pathways for Intervention. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023, 153: 106142. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106142.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchStress exposureEffects of stress exposureImpact of stress exposureSensorimotor gating deficitsChildhood trauma survivorsNegative outcomesPhysical healthEarly life adversityNegative effects of stressExposure to adversityExposure to stressEffects of stressGating deficitsNeurobiological abnormalitiesNeurobiological mechanismsLife stressLife adversityTrauma survivorsSerotonin SignalingAffective behaviorNeurodevelopmental windowBrain functionAt adulthoodPhysical diseaseMouse hippocampus