Patients with certain psychiatric or neurological disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder or autism) often have difficulty participating in productive and fulfilling social interactions, and can sometimes exhibit violent outbursts. Using the Drosophila vinegar fly, our goal is to determine the genes, neural circuits, and hormonal systems that modulate behavioral output in response to a changing environment ? focusing our efforts on factors that reduce conflict between flies. Functional similarities between flies and humans (both genetic and physiological) make it highly likely that results from this project will serve as a foundation for understanding how neural disorders, as well as genetic variation, can influence human social behavior.
| Asahina, Kenta (2018) Sex differences in Drosophila behavior: Qualitative and Quantitative Dimorphism. Curr Opin Physiol 6:35-45 |
| Asahina, Kenta (2017) Neuromodulation and Strategic Action Choice in Drosophila Aggression. Annu Rev Neurosci 40:51-75 |
