Seeking answers, collaboration in stress science
By Mike Jernigan
Stress / stres / — a natural reaction to demands or threats, often causing physical, emotional or mental strain.
For a simple, one-syllable word with a relatively short definition, stress manifests itself in ways far too numerous to count. It can be a source of great inspiration. It can be a contributing cause of mental and physical illness. It can invoke strong — and sometimes destructive — emotions.
A force as inescapable as gravity, it is a fact of everyday life. That is why stress sciences researchers from multiple disciplines across Auburn University are seeking to better understand its innumerable manifestations and effects.
“Stress involves strain or pressure due to demanding circumstances and can result in both adaptive and maladaptive outcomes,” according to Jennifer Kerpelman, associate vice president for research. “Auburn researchers across a number of disciplines study environmental, biological, psychological and social stress at the molecular level all the way to the community level in plants, animals and humans.”
During the spring semester, those researchers came together for a one-day campus gathering to share ideas and research in a multidisciplinary environment. The event was part of Auburn’s Team Science Series, which offers opportunities to connect and collaborate among researchers
across disciplines.
“The stress sciences event offered a new opportunity for these researchers to connect, collaborate and create community across those disciplines,” continued Kerpelman, one of the organizers of the event. “Participants gained valuable insights from experts on effectively securing research grants and were encouraged to share ideas for novel projects, discuss developing interdisciplinary collaborations and contemplate new ways to strengthen stress management efforts on campus and in the community.”
Rita Graze, associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, is the leader of one of the initiatives to build on the collaborative momentum fostered by the event. She is heading the effort to launch the S.T.R.E.S.S. (Synthesizing Training, Research and Education in Stress Science) Consortium Center.
The center is intended to provide leadership, infrastructure and a supportive framework for building collaboration in all areas related to the science of stress. The overarching goal is to promote training as well as research-, outreach- and education-focused collaborations contributing to Auburn’s research, education and outreach missions.
“There was a call for proposals for ‘centers in development’ within the College of Sciences and Mathematics,” Graze explained. “The S.T.R.E.S.S. Consortium Center was one of the proposals selected, and we are working toward formal approval. This requires participation of multiple colleges and formation of an advisory board, etc. We are organizing events as we go to promote the center and gather stakeholder input.”
Graze has a special interest in stress sciences collaboration since one of her primary areas of research is the differences between males and females in the regulation of gene expression and the impact this has on complex traits such as stress responses. Most of her projects in this area are related to the potential role of insulin signaling, heat stress and innate immune responses.
Robert Judd is another Auburn researcher working on stress science at the molecular level. Professor and head of the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology in the Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine, he is also chair of the Boshell Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Program. His research focuses on a specific physical aspect of stress — metabolic stress.
“Metabolic stress arises from disruptions in the body’s ability to utilize nutrients, which can occur due to nutrient deficiencies, excesses or imbalances, leading to physiological and cellular changes,” Judd said. “Exposure to metabolic stress can contribute to the development and progression of various chronic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
“Obesity impacts almost all organ systems of the body, necessitating a broad, collaborative and team-based research approach,” he added. “This approach is the mission of the Boshell Program, with particular emphasis on cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease neurobiology, nutrition, metabolism, cancer and drug discovery.”
