We focus on identifying and characterizing the neural circuits that regulate social behavior, emotional processing, and stress responses. Our work has revealed critical roles for several brain regions including the medial preoptic area (mPOA), medial septum, pontine central gray, and their interconnected networks in mediating complex behaviors.

Our research investigates how social behaviors emerge from neural circuit activity and how disruptions in these circuits lead to social impairments. We recently made groundbreaking discoveries about prosocial behaviors in rodents, including reviving-like behaviors toward unconscious conspecifics, providing new insights into empathy and prosocial motivation.

We investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying social dysfunction, with particular focus on excitation-inhibition balance, neurotransmitter systems, and hormonal regulation. Our work has revealed how chronic stress and hormonal changes alter neural circuit function to produce depression-like states and anxiety behaviors.

Our ultimate goal is to translate our basic science discoveries into therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders. We focus on identifying druggable targets within the neural circuits we study, particularly those involved in social impairments, anxiety, and depression. Our work on Alzheimer's disease also explores neuropsychiatric symptoms and sensory processing deficits as potential intervention points.