Depression is different for women. One-size-fits-all drugs aren’t helping.

The trauma of an accident, an assault, abuse, or even simply losing someone we love can have long-term effects. For some, it can trigger mental illnesses. But what if, in the hours after the experience, you could take a pill that made you less likely to fall ill? And what if there were such a pill tailored specifically for women? That’s the goal Briana K. Chen ’16, a postdoctoral neuroscientist at Columbia University, spends her days nudging us closer to.

To grasp the problem she’s working toward solving...