Why do some people emerge from trauma resilient, while others carry its effects for decades—or even generations?

In this episode of Neural Compass, Harvard neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Nikos Daskalakis joins Jimini’s Mark Jacobstein to unpack the biology of stress and PTSD. Drawing on decades of research spanning animal models, post-mortem human brain studies, and cutting-edge multi-omics, Dr. Daskalakis explains how genetics, early life stress, and later trauma interact to shape vulnerability, resilience, and mental health outcomes. The conversation explores how glucocorticoid signaling, immune–brain communication, and cell-type-specific transcriptional changes complicate our understanding of PTSD—and why simple, one-size-fits-all treatments continue to fall short.

They cover:

* The “three-hit” model of stress: genetics, early life experience, and adult trauma

* Why cortisol and glucocorticoid signaling matter—but aren’t the whole story

* What single-cell and multi-omic brain studies reveal about PTSD versus depression

* The unresolved question of whether trauma can be biologically transmitted across generations

Learn more: jiminihealth.com