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Details for Dr Allison Fulford

Personal details
Name	Dr Allison Fulford
Job title	Teaching Fellow
Department	Centre for Comparative and Clinical Anatomy University of Bristol
Contact details	This expert can be contacted via the University of Bristol Public Relations Office. To help us deal with your request, please mention the Directory of Experts when contacting the Public Relations Office. work+44 (0)117 928 7777 email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk
Qualifications	BSc(CNAA), PhD(Nott)
Professional details
Keywords	stress hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis stress axis endocrine nervous systems stress response mood disorders
Areas of expertise	My research interests lie with the body's response to stress. I study features of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA, or stress axis), the major point of interaction between the endocrine and nervous systems and of critical importance in mediating the stress response. A large part of my work concentrates on how the stress response changes during development. For instance, studies are underway into the role of monamines released in the central nervous system. Monomines, a class of neurotransmitter that includes catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine) and serotonin, have been implicated in a variety of mood disorders and hence characterising their properties and action in the brain will allow for greater understanding of conditions such as bipolar disorder and depression.