Advances in Care

Reproductive Researcher: Decoding the Science of Perinatal Mood Disorders

Episode 7
Reproductive Researcher: Decoding the Science of Perinatal Mood Disorders
Reproductive Researcher: Decoding the Science of Perinatal Mood Disorders

It has been reported that 10 to 20% of women will experience some sort of mood or anxiety disorder during the perinatal period. Reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Lauren Osborne wants to find out why. She explores three interplaying etiological factors in the pursuit of decoding perinatal mood disorders in the hopes of one day developing prediction tools and treatments.

When her own experience with a complicated pregnancy reignited an interest in medicine and science, Dr. Lauren Osborne left her career in publishing to pursue medical school. Now a reproductive psychiatrist, Dr. Osborne leads the way in researching the connection between immune system dysregulation, stress reactivity, and the role of allopregnanolone in mood and anxiety disorders, particularly in pregnant and postpartum women. In this episode, she discusses how her expansive research is getting us one step closer to decoding perinatal mood disorders, and she calls for increased training in reproductive psychiatry to help OBGYNs better treat their patients.