Joyce Yau
Senior Lecturer
Address
- Street
-
The Queen's Medical Research Institute
BioQuarter
47 Little France Crescent - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH16 4TJ
Research summary
Glucocorticoid hormones released as part of the stress response play an important role in the normal function and homeostasis of the brain. Whereas elevated glucocorticoid levels are essential for surviving stress, prolonged exposure to stress levels of glucocorticoids can have detrimental effects and may increase the risk of disease. Large individual differences in cognitive abilities are found among aged individuals. One factor thought to contribute to this heterogeneity is stress exposure throughout life. Studies in both humans and animals have found that age-related memory decline associates with chronically elevated blood glucocorticoid levels. My research focuses on (i) the role of brain glucocorticoids generated by the 11beta-HSD1 enzyme in the regulation of learning and memory; (ii) how stressful life events particularly in vulnerable periods of the adult lifespan such as midlife affects the ageing brain; and (iii) therapeutic interventions to prevent or ameliorate age- and stress-related cognitive dysfunction.
Research activities
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11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 deficiency prevents PTSD-like memory in young adult mice
In:
Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 146, pp. 105945
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105945
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Mining for Oxysterols in Cyp7b1−/− Mouse Brain and Plasma: Relevance to Spastic Paraplegia Type 5
In:
Biomolecules, vol. 9, pp. 149
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9040149
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Midlife stress alters memory and mood-related behaviors in old age: role of locally activated glucocorticoids
In:
Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 89
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.018
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Forebrain-specific transgene rescue of 11β-HSD1 associates with impaired spatial memory and reduced hippocampal BDNF mRNA levels in aged 11β-HSD1 deficient mice
In:
Journal of Neuroendocrinology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12447
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Decreased Npas4 and Arc mRNA levels in the hippocampus of aged memory-impaired wild type but not memory preserved 11β-HSD1 deficient mice
In:
Journal of Neuroendocrinology, vol. 28
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12339
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Cognitive and disease-modifying effects of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibition in male Tg2576 mice, a model of Alzheimer's disease
In:
Endocrinology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2015-1395
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Short-term inhibition of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 reversibly improves spatial memory but persistently impairs contextual fear memory in aged mice
(6 pages)
In:
Neuropharmacology, vol. 91, pp. 71–76
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.005
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Diurnal and stress-induced intra-hippocampal corticosterone rise attenuated in 11β-HSD1-deficient mice: a microdialysis study in young and aged mice
(6 pages)
In:
European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 41, pp. 787-92
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.12836
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Intrahippocampal glucocorticoids generated by 11β-HSD1 affect memory in aged mice
(10 pages)
In:
Neurobiology of Aging, vol. 36, pp. 334-343
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.07.007
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Cholestenoic acids regulate motor neuron survival via liver X receptors
(14 pages)
In:
Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 124, pp. 4829-4842
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI68506
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Inhibiting 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 prevents stress effects on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and impairs contextual fear conditioning
(6 pages)
In:
Neuropharmacology, vol. 81, pp. 231-236
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.042
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
24S,25-Epoxycholesterol in mouse and rat brain
In:
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, vol. 449, pp. 229–234
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.05.012
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The short- and long-term effects of inflammation and fluctuating hyperoxia on a rodent Model of prematurity
(1 page)
In:
Scottish Medical Journal, vol. 58, pp. E42-E42
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Meeting abstract (Published) -
Local amplification of glucocorticoids in the aging brain and impaired spatial memory
(15 pages)
In:
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 4, pp. 24
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2012.00024
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Literature review (Published) -
11 beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Deficiency Prevents Memory Deficits with Aging by Switching from Glucocorticoid Receptor to Mineralocorticoid Receptor-Mediated Cognitive Control
(6 pages)
In:
Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 31, pp. 4188-4193
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6145-10.2011
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Partial Deficiency or Short-Term Inhibition of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Improves Cognitive Function in Aging Mice
(6 pages)
In:
Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 30, pp. 13867-13872
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2783-10.2010
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Expression Is Increased in the Aged Mouse Hippocampus and Parietal Cortex and Causes Memory Impairments
(5 pages)
In:
Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 30, pp. 6916-6920
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0731-10.2010
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The antidepressant desipramine requires the ABCBI (MdrI)-type p-glycoprotein to upregulate the glucocorticoid receptor in mice
(10 pages)
In:
Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 32, pp. 2520-2529
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1301389
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Enhanced hippocampal long-term potentiation and spatial learning in aged 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 knock-out mice
(10 pages)
In:
Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 27, pp. 10487-10496
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2190-07.2007
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Forebrain mineralocorticoid receptor overexpression enhances memory, reduces anxiety and attenuates neuronal loss in cerebral ischaemia
(11 pages)
In:
European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 25, pp. 1832-1842
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05427.x
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)