Dissertation Research: Effects of mating on behavioral and neuronal stress response in male and female rats

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Mating is a socially rewarding experience that may exert protective benefits to health and fitness and buffers against the deleterious effects of stress across a number of mammalian and non-mammalian species. However, the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie these effects are poorly understood, and studies inclusive of female subjects are extremely limited. Using both male and female rodent models, the investigators will utilize a combination of behavioral, cellular, and neurochemical studies to better understand the impact of mating history on stress-related systems. In-vivo neurochemical studies will also allow for the collection and analysis of neurotransmitter release in awake and behaving animals during mating and a stressful encounter. Mating history is expected to dampen stress reactivity through neurochemical changes in regions of the brain that differ between males and females, and differences may be observed between males and females. The evolutionary advantage for the anxiety-reducing, stress-buffering, and rewarding aspects of mating may be to increase an animal's willingness to explore new environments to search for mating partners, and thus facilitate reproduction and ultimately pass on its genes. This research will advance a broader scientific field that includes our understanding of differences between males and females and similarities in the behavioral and neurobiological systems regulating stress and reproduction and how these systems interact. In addition, it will have a broader impact on a number of undergraduates who are trained in neuroscience research in this lab. These students currently include members of groups traditionally underrepresented in science. Further, the investigators will talk to K-12 students about the dissertation research and teach basic neuroscience through outreach activities including Brain Awareness Week and the North Florida Brain Bee, to promote scientific interest in the local community.