Chronic stress is a major risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric disease. Given the complexity of the stress response, our lab tries to deconstruct it across multiple levels. First, we break down chronic stress into its fundamental building block, the acute stress response. We investigate the dynamic molecular changes in the brain triggered by acute stress and observe how these changes evolve as stress becomes chronic. We also dissect the signaling factors driving the acute stress response, with a focus on the locus coeruleus circuitry, which is the source of noradrenaline in the brain. Finally, we deconstruct behavior to analyze how stress changes the microstructure of behavior and how this relates to molecular and circuit changes in the brain. This talk will provide a high-level overview of these topics and our lab's approach to studying them.