Biological Determinants of Social Networks

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Summary of ProposalOne of the great challenges in modern biology is to understand how the social behaviours of animals arise through a combination of genetic and environmental factors and how they are implemented by circuits in the brain. Dr. Levine's research program aims to understand genetic and neurobiological contributions to the structure and dynamic function of social groups. Dr. Levine's innovative research has shown that Drosophila melanogaster, the vinegar fly, form social networks with non-random structures and that these structures vary with group size. He has also shown that the rules associated with group structure are inherited and rely on communication pathways. The proposed research is defined by two objectives. First, it builds on this work to identify genes and brain circuitry that participate in social network function. Candidate genes and newly discovered genes will be analyzed to understand inherited features of social behaviour. Second, the role of networks will be investigated both from an evolutionary perspective and a present moment perspective. Dr. Levine will build on his discovery that flies may "count" to estimate group size. Fly genetics have already provided deep insights into human processes such as learning, biological clocks, and the development of the body. Dr. Levine's CRC research will go further to gain new understanding of human social dynamics, leading to insights for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder and other human social disorders. At the same time, he will develop new computational methods for describing/diagnosing social behaviour. Although it is already clear that behaviour in social groups is not completely determined by inheritance, understanding the biological contribution to social dynamics and how biology interacts with the world will help us understand human motivations and social pathology. Dr. Levine's research will provide insight into human behaviours in group settings and will optimize learning in classrooms, decision making in boardrooms, and efficient teamwork in operating rooms - improvements wherever group level activities are involved.