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Depression represents a global crisis poised to rank second only to cardiovascular conditions regarding the worldwide disease burden. Recent Florida State University alumna Nella Delva is contributing to solutions for this crisis through innovative research in Berlin, Germany, as part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Delva, who attained her Ph.D. from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at FSU’s College of Medicine in May, has spent the previous year advancing her research with sophisticated technology at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin as a beneficiary of the Fulbright Study/Research Award.
“Engaging in the Fulbright Program was truly the most significant choice, despite not believing that this entire concept would come to fruition,” Delva expressed.
The Fulbright Program stands as the premier international educational exchange initiative funded by the U.S. government, aimed at fostering mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and individuals from other nations. Its principal funding source is an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the U.S. Department of State. Additional support is also provided by participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations both domestically and internationally.
Grant recipients of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program are chosen based on their academic or professional accomplishments and evident leadership potential in their respective fields, with the initiative operating in over 160 nations around the globe.
“It enriches you in unexpected ways, both in your personal life and critical thinking as well,” Delva remarked.
Her Fulbright grant enabled her to become a part of one of Germany’s premier research institutions — a member of the Helmholtz Association, which is the nation’s largest scientific body. Delva’s research centers on dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is less examined compared to serotonin in depression studies. More specifically, she is investigating D1 receptors, a form of dopamine receptor located on specific neurons within the brain’s cerebral cortex.
“My dissertation genuinely initiated from a desire to comprehend a subset of brain cells — molecular markers associated with emerging depressive disorders — and their effects on behavior,” she elaborated.
Utilizing cutting-edge technology at the Max Delbrück Center, Delva employed induced pluripotent stem cells — adult cells that have been reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state — to simulate how alterations in dopamine receptors influence brain functionality. Her research has since broadened to include additional molecular influencers of stress and neurodevelopment.
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