Mechanistic basis of salience network oscillations that control anxiety trajectories

Neurosurgical patients and genetically modified mice are helping researchers map the brain's "salience network"—the circuit that flags threats—to understand why some people spiral into chronic anxiety while others recover. Anxiety disorders affect millions, but current treatments work poorly for many because doctors cannot predict who will worsen or improve. The problem is a gap between what clinicians observe—a patient's fear and avoidance—and the underlying biology. This project aims to bridge that gap by linking measurable brain oscillations (detectable via EEG or MEG) to molecular and circuit-level events. The researchers will record directly from the brains of epilepsy patients to identify how the anterior cingulate, insula, and amygdala interact during negative emotions. In mice, they will use optogenetics to artificially trigger those same oscillations and measure anxiety with automated behavioural tracking. Finally, single-cell gene sequencing of both mouse and human amygdala tissue will reveal the genomic signatures that shape these oscillations. This is fundamental science. If successful, it will provide a mechanistic framework for predicting anxiety trajectories and identifying molecular targets for circuit-calibrating therapies. No immediate clinical tool will emerge, but the work could eventually help stratify patients for existing treatments or guide the development of new interventions that directly modulate salience network activity.