Ioana Carcea
Laboratory for Social Behavior and Neuromodulation
Rutgers University

Social behavior adaptation to changing ecosystems

Our world faces inescapable transformations that could impact human and animal behavior in ways yet poorly understood. Major ecosystem changes that emerged in recent decades include increased global ambient temperature and widespread infections. We find that both changes in ambient temperature and infection-triggered sickness drive specific adaptations in mouse social behavior. We aim to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying adaptability of social behavior in response to changes in ambient temperature and to sickness. We find that hypothalamic vasopressin neurons drive temperature-induced adaptations in maternal care, an essential form of mammalian social behavior. We then show that oxytocinergic neuromodulation in the central amygdala supports sickness-induced adaptations in social novelty seeking. Our findings could help develop interventions for ameliorating the effects of ecosystem changes on social behavior, mental and somatic health.   

A pizza lunch will be served.