Catherine Dulac wants to understand the molecular, neuronal, and circuit basis of instinctive social behaviors. Dulac and her team apply molecular, genetic, and optical techniques in their investigations of the social brain, using the mouse as a model organism. Some of the team’s projects include identifying: the neuronal circuits underlying pheromone signaling in mating behaviors; the circuits underlying parental behavior and pup-directed aggression based on the animal’s sex and physiological state; the role of the amygdala in social and defensive behavior; and genomic imprinting in the developing and adult mouse brain.
Feeling ill is about both the body and the brain. Now scientists have identified a group of neurons in mice that has ultimate control over symptoms such as fever and behaviors like seeking out warmth. HHMI scientists have deconstructed the brain circuits that control parenting behavior in mice and identified discrete sets of cells that control actions, motivations, and hormonal changes involved in nurturing young animals. A microscope lens implanted deep inside a mouse’s brain shows different patterns of neural activity when the mouse interacts with males, females, or other stimuli. Now, researchers have discovered that sexual experience can trigger long-term changes in these brain patterns. HHMI scientists are among 84 newly elected members. HHMI announces the names of scientists selected to pilot a new program devoted to supporting transformative, collaborative research. Gene knockout studies show that pheromones are important in mating and aggression.