Anna Benrick
School of Health Sciences
Anna Benrick
Associate Professor of Biomedicine
The overarching aim of this project is to understand the molecular mechanisms driving anxiety and depression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is affecting one in eight women and elevated levels of testosterone is a key feature.
There is a high risk of anxiety and depression in women with PCOS, affecting up to 80%.
Although there are clear associations between elevated testosterone and signs of depression and anxiety, in both women and their daughters, how androgens affect psychological conditions in females remains unknown.
We hypothesize that hyperandrogenism causes anxiety in females via central mechanisms.