Chiho Sugimoto Recognized for Pioneering Research on Inclusivity in Mental Health
Article Highlights
- Chiho Sugimoto's research focuses on major depressive disorder, investigating the biological mechanisms behind sex differences in the condition, which disproportionately affects women.
- Her work explores the role of androgen receptors in neurons of the ventral hippocampus and their impact on stress vulnerability, aiming to identify novel pharmacological targets for treating MDD, particularly in female patients.
- Recently awarded a F31 NIH fellowship and the ‘Jack R. Hoffert Memorial Scholarship,’ Sugimoto emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in scientific research and the need to address historical gaps in understanding mood disorders.
"Scholarships like the 'Jack R. Hoffert Memorial Scholarship' are important not only because they support graduate students, but also because they provide us the opportunity to share our research with the department and beyond," Sugimoto said. Credit: T. Lee
Chiho Sugimoto knows how important inclusivity is in scientific research when it comes to biological sex.
Historically, medical research was predominately focused on male patients, which limited the understanding of diseases and disorders in females, resulted in real-life disadvantages for women.
Hoping to address this disparity, Sugimoto, a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology graduate program, focuses her research onon major depressive disorder, or MDD, a condition that disproportionately affects women. Despite this disparity, the biological basis of this sex difference remains largely unknown. Stress vulnerability has emerged as a critical risk factor for MDD, with studies implicating neurons in the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in stress-induced susceptibility.
Sugimoto’s work delves into the role of androgen receptors on these vHPC-NAc neurons, investigating the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that regulate this circuit's excitability and influence sex-specific behaviors and stress vulnerability.
"In our lab, we found that the excitability of the vHPC-NAc circuit is reduced by adult testosterone in mice, which drives stress resilience," said Sugimoto, whose mentor is AJ Robison, a professor in the Department of Physiology. "My research aims to understand how testosterone and androgen receptors affect these neurons, potentially leading to novel pharmacological targets for treating MDD, particularly in female patients."
Sugimoto’s research recently earned her an F31 NIH fellowship and the honor of being selected as this year’s recipient of the Department of Physiology’s ‘Jack R. Hoffert Memorial Scholarship.’
“Being chosen for the ‘Jack R. Hoffert Memorial Scholarship’ is a great honor as it is a testament to his memory, and a reminder that we can all strive for excellence in multiple ways whether it’s through our science, community engagement, acts of kindness, mentoring, and more,” she said. “All of this contributes to being our best as well as also supporting the next generation of scientists.”
Sugimoto receives the 'Jack R. Hoffert Memorial Scholarship' award from Assistant Professor Shane Crandall, left, and Interim Chairperson Karl Olson. Credit: T. Lee
The 'Jack R. Hoffert Memorial Scholarship' recognizes students like Sugimoto, who excel not only in scientific research but also in community involvement, highlighting the importance of celebrating those who drive the success of research programs behind the scenes. Sugimoto’s mentor, AJ Robison, says that acknowledging the essential role of graduate students through such awards is a meaningful way to celebrate their hard work and invaluable contributions.
“Our grad students are often the unsung heroes of our research programs, performing the daily grind of experiments so critical for our grants and papers while also balancing academic obligations and trying to have a life outside of work,” said Robison, who is a professor in the Department of Physiology and the director of the Neuroscience Program at MSU. “Recognizing their critical role in our research endeavors and the excellence of our strongest and hardest-working students with things like the Hoffert Award are important ways to acknowledge their contributions and achievements.”
Born in Canada and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Sugimoto initially dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Her passion for behavioral research emerged as an undergraduate at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. This passion eventually led her to the Robison Lab at MSU.
“The Robison lab was a great fit since we use genetic, molecular, and pharmacological tools along with novel transgenic mouse lines to understand the differences in neural circuitry between the biological sexes, and to elucidate the cellular and molecular underpinnings of psychiatric disorders, addiction, and more,” she said. “Furthermore, Dr. Robison is a supportive mentor who allows me independence, and our lab members are great as we all are supportive of each other.”
As Sugimoto nears the completion of her Ph.D., she plans to pursue a post-doctoral position to continue her research and contribute to a more inclusive scientific community.
“There is so much we don’t know about mood disorders already,” she said. “Researchers shouldn’t be limiting themselves to understanding and helping only half the population.”
