Professor Mark Spritzer’s laboratory recently published a paper in the journal Biomolecules describing the effects of the hormone testosterone and its major metabolites upon adult neurogenesis. 

Laboratory depiction of adult neurogenesis.

In a series of experiments, it was demonstrated that testosterone acts upon the later stages of neuron development in the hippocampus region of the brain, enhancing the survival of newly proliferated cells.  This work has implications for the treatment of various neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and chronic depression. Twelve Middlebury College graduates are co-authors on this paper.  This work was supported by extensive use of the confocal microscope in Middlebury’s advanced microscopy facility.