PhD conferral Mrs Magdalena T. Weidner, MSc.

Keywords: serotonin, rodent models, RNA expression, epigenetic marks

"Brain serotonin throughout development – for better and for worse"

Serotonin is a major functional modulator within the brain and affects various behaviours as well as physiological functions. Particularly, throughout development, serotonin interacts with environmental challenges to shape later-life brain function and behaviour. In the thesis “Brain serotonin throughout development-for better and for worse” the role of brain serotonin was interrogated in rodent models, using various molecular tools and behavioural screenings. Results showed that dependent on sex, early-life experiences and experimental context, brain serotonin affected socio-emotional behaviours. Furthermore, alterations in brain serotonin function in interaction with early adversity influenced RNA expression and epigenetic marks in brain regions of emotion and stress regulation.