For many species, including our own, social bonding is essential for numerous aspects of biological and psychological function. Therefore, it is critical to understand the neuroscience underlying social bonding. This project will examine the neurobiology of social bonding by utilizing behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical assessments of pair bonding in the socially monogamous prairie vole. The experiments will determine how the endogenous opioid systems interact with dopamine signaling in brain circuitry important for reward and motivation underlying pair bond formation and maintenance. Additionally, the project will capitalize on state-of-the-art neurochemical measurement technology (fast-scan cyclic voltammetry) in the prairie vole model to further assess the role of opioid-dopamine interactions in pair bonding. On both intellectual and technical levels, results from these studies are expected to have a tremendous impact on several biological fields. This work focuses on the neuroscience of social bonding, is poised to enhance our understanding of reproduction, ethologically relevant learning and memory, as well as the evolutionary origins of neural mechanisms that mediate social bonding. Importantly, the robust teaching plans will translate into the classroom (at both the graduate and undergraduate levels) and impact how this information will subsequently reach the public domain. Finally, this project provides outstanding training opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students, revealing details on how students will be trained in the laboratory and placing an emphasis on promoting diversity in neuroscience by the recruitment and training of women and underrepresented minorities into this laboratory.
