|   | Stressful
                          events may serve to promoteor exacerbate pathological states, including
 depressive disorders, cardiovascular disease,
 and immunologically related pathologies. Our
 work has focused on determining the conditions
 that increase vulnerability to stressor
                          related
 pathologies, including the contribution of
 various organismic
                          (genetic, age) and
 experiential variables (stressor history,
 early life trauma, chronicity
                          of events, maternal
 factors), and the identification of the
 neurochemical
                          underpinnings for stressor-related
 pathology. As well, we have been assessing the
 processes by which the brain influences the
 immune system, and conversely the processes by
 which immune activation comes to affect brain
 functioning.
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