Jacob Nordman, PhD

Dr. Jacob Nordman is currently studying the impact of stress on the neurocircuitry of violent aggression. Early life stress is a reliable predictor of aggression in the adult. Changes in the strength of different brain circuits can alter aggression in humans and laboratory animals. The neural mechanisms underlying this change are only starting to be understood. To fill this gap in our understanding, we interrogate the neurocircuitry of stress-induced chronic aggression using a combination of animal behavior, viral tools, electrophysiology, chemo- and optogenetics, fiber photometry, and pharmacology.  Our hope is by answering these questions, new and better therapies to treat excessive aggression can be developed.  Please visit the Nordman lab website for more information.

https://nordman-lab.owlstown.net/ 

Current Projects in the Lab:

Early life stress in chronic aggression - There is growing evidence that social isolation is a significant contributor to chronic aggressive behavior and can exacerbate aggression brought on by traumatic stress. However, the neural mechanisms that link social isolation and traumatic stress to chronic aggression are poorly understood. In this project, we study how social isolation and acute traumatic stress during adolescence induce plasticity changes to limbic circuits, leading to maladaptive chronic aggression in the adult.

Neural mechanisms of socially transmitted aggression - Aggression can be learned by observing the aggressive behavior of others, which can be advantageous for survival, but can also be maladaptive if modeled poorly. Moreover, the neural mechanisms underlying learned aggression are unknown. In this study, we employ a novel behavioral paradigm to characterize the neural circuits involved in learned aggression that may lead to targeted interventions in the treatment of uncontrolled aggression and violence.

Dorsal raphe pathways in aggression escalation - The dorsal raphe (DR) is a primary aggression node in the brain and an important modulator of attack behavior related to traumatic stress.  The DR drives stage-specific attack behavior through specific neural pathways that are sensitive to stress. Imbalances within these DR pathways may underlie excessive aggression.

The role of glutamate in experience-dependent aggression - For this project, we examine the distinct role of glutamate receptors in shaping aggression circuitry underlying excessive aggression.

Team members

• Jessica T. Jacobs (postdoc)
• Magdalene Adjei (graduate student)
• Mikaela Aholt (graduate student)
• Elana Qasem (undergraduate researcher)
• Taylor Lineberry (undergraduate researcher)
• Haresh Kittu (undergraduate researcher)