Unraveling the Hidden Toll of Intimate Partner Violence on Women's Neuroendocrine and Cardiovascular Health

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is associated with relevant and long-lasting consequences for women’s physical and mental health, while the biological mechanisms underlying multiorgan damage remain incompletely understood. The WISH Project integrates preclinical and clinical research to characterize the effects of IPV on the brain, cardiovascular, endocrine and immune systems. In the murine model developed by the group, chronic relational stress induced hippocampal alterations, reduced neurogenesis, increased apoptosis, down-regulation of ERβ and BDNF, together with early cardiovascular and endocrine changes. The project now aims to integrate molecular analyses of tissues from the animal model with analyses of human biological samples, in order to identify translational pathways and biomarkers associated with IPV exposure and define the pathophysiological mechanisms of systemic damage.