Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cortisol Receptor Sensitivity As A Risk Factor For Depression, Michela Michielli

Honors Theses

In 2020, the World Health Organization reported over 264 million people across the world were suffering from depression. Studies have demonstrated that one source of depression is a hormonal imbalance involved in the stress response. Cortisol is a stress hormone regulated by the Hypothalamic-Anterior-Pituitary (HPA) Axis. Its effects on the stress response and other metabolic activities in the body are exerted through the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR and MR respectively).

Our research has examined mutations known as single-nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNPs) relating to cortisol-receptor sensitivity and the behavior of cortisol in the body to investigate the link between cortisol activity and …

Identifying Metabolites As Markers Of Fatigue In Athletes, Christopher D. George

Honors Theses

Fatigue in athletes caused by inadequate rest and other stressors can be severely detrimental to their health, and yet there is no reliable way to measure and track fatigue. Many classical measures of fatigue like body mass and resting heart rate are not reliable ways to track the physical fatigue of an athlete because they can change with many factors. In addition, it is not known how academic stress on top of physical stress affects fatigue. Metabolomics is a relatively new area of study and tracking metabolites offers the possibility to produce biomarkers to assess fatigue. This study collected saliva …