The ENIGMA-Neuroendocrinology working group will examine the effects of hormones on the brain. Initial efforts are dedicated to understanding sex hormone influences on brain structure, function, and chemistry. We will combine data from collaborating sites to systematically evaluate effects of hormonal transitions that take place during the lifespan, including the prenatal period, childhood, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause/andropause, as well as effects resulting from menstrual cycle fluctuations. Subsequent evaluations will also seek to explore the role of hormones in developmental disorders, hormone-sensitive mood problems, and neuropsychiatric problems that arise in older adulthood.
The working group currently has four subgroups with respective chairs:
- Puberty, led by Tim Silk and Nandi Vijayakumar (contact: tim.silk@deakin.edu.au, nandi.vijayakumar@deakin.edu.au)
- Early/middle adulthood menstrual phase / contraceptives, led by Nicole Petersen, Zora Kikinis and Carina Heller (contact: npetersen@ucla.edu, carina.heller@uni-jena.de)
- Pregnancy / Maternity, led by Susana Carmona and Magdalena Martínez-García (contact: scarmona@hggm.es, mmartinez@hggm.es)
- Menopause, led by Claudia Barth (contact: claudia.barth@medisin.uio.no)
ENIGMA-Neuroendocrinology's commentary: Heller, C., Barth, C., Silk, T.J. et al. The ENIGMA-Neuroendocrinology working group to bridge gaps in female mental health research. Nat. Mental Health (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00224-2
Our call for participation is open!
We are actively searching for international collaborators to join ENIGMA-Neuroendocrinology! If you are interested in participating, please complete our short data query poll here: short data query poll, and contact the Working Group chairs via npetersen@ucla.edu.
