4HerHealth

Mood disorders, including depression and anxiety, are multifaceted mental health issues imposing substantial burdens on individuals, caregivers, healthcare systems, and economies. As per the Lancet Psychiatry in 2020, the global economic toll of mental disorders is a staggering $2.5 trillion per year factoring in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and diminished quality of life, a cost projected to rise to $6 trillion by 2030!

Our project centers on the estrogen signaling pathway, a key link between genetic predisposition and mental health outcomes. Existing evidence implicates estrogen, especially estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), in various mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Studies show that ESR1 and ESR2 gene variations are associated with mood disorders, primarily in females who possess higher estrogen levels and are twice as likely to experience Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders.

We aspire to develop a biologically-based framework for the diagnosis, prevention, and therapeutic strategies of mood disorders, specifically tailored to individual needs and linked to hormonal fluctuations.