The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded a $545,450 Project Grant (CFDA 93.865 - Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. The grant funding will support research to investigate the neural circuit mechanisms underlying infant-directed behavior, including pro-parental and anti-parental behaviors, in mice. The project aims to leverage knowledge of molecularly defined neural circuits involved in parental behaviors to reveal how hypothalamic circuit nodes interact to coordinate infant-directed behavior across behavioral states in both males and females. Key research activities include in vivo fiber photometry, chemogenetic manipulations, electrophysiology, and RNA sequencing to elucidate the circuit activity, synaptic mechanisms, and molecular underpinnings of adaptive infant-directed behaviors. This research is expected to provide critical insights into the neurobiology of caregiving that can inform interventions to support healthy bonding and neurodevelopment.
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