The University of Utah has been awarded a $231,000 Project Grant under the National Institute on Aging's Aging Research Federal Grant Program (CFDA 93.866) for a study titled "Sex-Based Study of Chronic Hypoxia-Related Vulnerability to Depression: Age Effects." The project aims to evaluate the impact of chronic hypoxia exposure, which can occur at high altitudes, on the development of depression and cognitive deficits, with a focus on age and sex differences. Researchers will assess depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors, cognitive function, and underlying neurobiological markers in young adult, older adult, and aging adult rats exposed to chronic hypoxia conditions versus normal oxygen levels. The study will also test the efficacy of antidepressant and bioenergetic compounds in mitigating the effects of chronic hypoxia on depressive symptoms, with the goal of informing the development of novel therapeutic approaches for later-life major depressive disorder, particularly in women. This research will provide critical insights into the complex interplay between environmental, biological, and age-related factors that influence vulnerability to depression.