Investigating the impact of psychosocial stress on bone metabolism and skeletal health

Our research in the Mountain Lab broadly focuses on exploring the effects of psychosocial stress on skeletal health using both rodent models and human epidemiological data. We are specifically interested in how social isolation stress negatively effects bone metabolism and fracture risk. Social isolation is highly prevalent, affecting 1 in 4 adults over the age of 65 in the United States. Both objective social isolation (i.e. lack of social connections) and subjective social isolation (i.e. loneliness) are major public health concerns, with numerous negative health consequences, including increased risk for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, mental health disorders, and overall mortality risk.

We have found that social isolation is associated with reduced bone mass in male, but not female, mice. Our lab is currently investigating the mechanisms behind these findings, including the role of glucocorticoid and sympathetic nervous system activity, through a combination of behavioral interventions and pharmacological and genetic techniques. We are also investigating how both objective and subjective social isolation affect skeletal health and fracture risk in humans. We leverage existing human epidemiological cohorts to examine a variety of physiological and behavioral factors to understand who is at the greatest risk isolation-induced bone loss. Our long-term goal is to identify at-risk individuals and develop interventions to reduce their osteoporosis and fracture risk.