NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2020: Comparative neural mechanisms of pair bonding

Hiura, Lisa, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Most mammals do not form pair bonds, yet a few mammalian species including humans and prairie voles are capable of developing lifelong opposite sex bonds. Chemical signals within the brain’s reward structures are critical for pair bonding, underscoring the rewarding nature of partner interactions. Meadow voles are closely related to prairie voles but do not pair bond. It is unknown if the ability to form a pair bond is tied to how social interactions with a mate engage the reward circuit of each species. The Fellow will measure if there are species differences in how the brain’s reward circuitry responds to experiences with a mate. Moreover, the Fellow will experimentally manipulate reward pathways to determine if these circuits control vole pair bonding behaviors. This research will provide insights into how evolutionary changes in common brain circuits have resulted in species-specific social behaviors. This research will also inform our understanding of brain circuits that play a role in psychopathologies characterized by atypical social functioning. The Fellow will gain advanced technical training and will bring neuroscientific learning opportunities to underserved communities to increase their participation in biology. Although prior work has revealed differences in mesolimbic dopamine receptor expression in prairie and meadow voles, differences in socially-elicited dopamine dynamics are unexplored but represent a potential evolutionary switch that may be crucial for the transition to monogamy. The Fellow will test the hypothesis that species differences in pair bonding depend on the differential activation of reward circuitry by using neurophotometric and chemogenetic approaches in prairie and meadows voles to 1) compare activation profiles of dopaminergic cells in the ventral tegmental area and downstream dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens during interactions with a mate and a novel opposite-sex animal, and 2) directly activate and inhibit mesolimbic dopaminergic projections to find the necessary and sufficient conditions for pair bonding. The Fellow will master techniques including virally mediated cell targeting, pharmacogenetics, and assessment of real-time neurotransmitter release dynamics, while also honing mentorship skills, and a research and teaching pedagogy. Furthermore, the Fellow will expand inclusion of underrepresented groups in biology through the creation and presentation of exhibits and workshops on comparative neuroscience. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.