University of Iowa · PhysiologyStress and Brain Resilience Lab
Rainbo Hultman · Iowa City, Iowa
Research Focus
Dr. Rainbo Hultman's lab at the University of Iowa focuses on understanding how chronic stress affects the brain and behavior in mice. They investigate the brain's electrical networks and molecular changes that contribute to stress vulnerability and resilience, aiming to identify preventative strategies for mental health issues like depression. The lab also studies parental brain adaptations in response to the demands of caring for offspring, providing insights into maternal behavior and potential risks like postpartum depression.
stress vulnerabilityneural plasticityRNA sequencingelectrophysiologybehavioral neuroscienceparental careepigeneticschronic stressbrain networksmental health
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how brain network activity predicts vulnerability to chronic stress
AIM 02Identify molecular signatures associated with stress resilience
AIM 03Examine brain-wide adaptations during parental care
AIM 04Assess gender differences in stress response and vulnerability
AIM 05Develop therapeutic approaches targeting brain network signatures
Skills the Lab Values
single cell RNA sequencingin vivo electrophysiologydata analysisvivarium animal handlingoptogeneticscomputational modelingfMRIneuroimagingviral gene deliverybehavioral assays
Output against the department
Publications37bottom 4% of dept.275th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.3kbottom 5% of dept.272nd of 286
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.