Conference: 2011 Meeting of the Society for Social Neuroscience; Washington , DC

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Social behaviors are among the most complex and interesting traits exhibited by any organisms. Social behaviors can vary tremendously across different species, yet recent work suggests that there are often common neural and molecular mechanisms that produce such diverse behaviors. Such common themes could prove tremendously important for our understanding of social behavior and how it contributes to a range of contemporary concerns, ranging from wildlife conservation to racial bias. This project will help to launch a new scientific society, the Society for Social Neuroscience, by bringing together outstanding researchers and students from a diverse array of fields. The researchers and students will present original research findings, which together can illuminate how genes and environment interact to shape the neuronal basis of social behavior. The resulting meeting will integrate viewpoints from fields as diverse as molecular evolution, neuroethology, primatology, social psychology and economics. By immersing students and researchers in the many scholarly fields that contribute to social neuroscience, we hope to foster new, interdisciplinary insights into the basis of social behavior among humans and non-human animals. The presentations at the meeting will be available online for members of the society and the organizers are seeking publications in several journals. The society will also formulate plans for managing the wealth of genomic and neural imaging data currently being generated in attempts to advance the field by generating useful data and knowledge.