Deveroux Ferguson, PhD, associate professor of Psychiatry and Basic Medical Science, research program is to understand the molecular and circuit-specific mechanisms that underlie neuropsychiatric disorders. Major depressive disorder MDD) is a leading cause of disability, with 20% of individuals suffering from clinical depression during their lifetime. Depression is a heterogeneous syndrome consisting of several subtypes and abnormalities in multiple brain regions. Despite the prevalence of depression and its considerable impact, knowledge about its pathophysiology is limited. The Ferguson lab has developed several leading-edge technical approaches to elegantly dissect the cell and circuit-specific mechanisms of depression including cell- type specific RNA-Seq, cell and circuit-specific optogenetic approaches, epigenetic remodeling using CRISPR/Cas9, operant measures of reward, single- cell RNA-seq and the establishment of 19 unique transgenic lines. Using these cutting-edge molecular and circuit approaches, the Ferguson lab aims to develobetter diagnostic tests, treatments, and preventive measures for depression.