University of California-Los Angeles · PhysiologyGut Microbiome and Antenatal Depression Unit
Elaine Hsiao · Los Angeles, California
Research Focus
Dr. Elaine Hsiao's lab at UCLA focuses on understanding how the gut microbiome affects the responses to antidepressant treatments, particularly during pregnancy. By studying the interactions between the gut microbiome and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the lab aims to improve treatments for antenatal depression and reduce potential risks to both mothers and their babies. The research could lead to safer and more effective strategies for managing depression during pregnancy.
gut microbiomeSSRIsantenatal depressionpregnancymicrobial interactions
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how SSRI treatment changes the composition of the maternal gut microbiome during pregnancy.
AIM 02Examine how variations in the gut microbiome affect SSRI absorption and distribution in pregnant women.
AIM 03Determine the influence of the maternal gut microbiome on the effectiveness of SSRIs for treating antenatal depression.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell cultureanimal modelsmetagenomicsbehavioral assaysbioinformaticsdrug pharmacokineticstranscriptomicsmicrobiome analysis
Output against the department
Publications118bottom 36% of dept.184th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations20ktop 15% of dept.42nd 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.