EUEmory University · Pharmacology
Dystonia and Sex Differences Lab
Ellen J. Hess · Atlanta, Georgia
Research Focus
Dr. Ellen J. Hess's lab at Emory University studies dystonia, a condition that causes involuntary muscle contractions. Their research focuses on understanding why dystonia is more common in females and how hormonal differences might influence the disease. By using advanced mouse models, the lab aims to determine the genetic and physiological factors contributing to sex differences in dystonia, which could lead to better diagnoses and treatments in the future.
dystoniasex differencesbasal gangliamouse modelshormonal influences
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the role of ovarian hormones in dystonia expression.
AIM 02Identify molecular signatures of dystonia in neuronal cell types.
AIM 03Elucidate dSPN and iSPN activity patterns in male and female mouse models of dystonia.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelsmolecular profilingmicroelectrodesfunctional imagingdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications160bottom 45% of dept.256th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.8ktop 46% of dept.214th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.