Doctoral Dissertation Research: Energy expenditure, neuroendocrine systems, and social dynamics in challenging environments

这个博士论文项目将研究当人类暴露于新颖的、具有挑战性的环境时，生理和行为之间的关系。该项目将利用生物可塑性和适应性、能量分配和消耗以及社会合作等核心研究机构。这项研究将促进对人类如何适应极端寒冷和高海拔需求的新见解，这将广泛地为人类应对世界各地各种生态压力源的能力研究提供信息。这项研究将有助于在圣母大学培养一名有色人种女性攻读博士学位，也将有助于培养激素、健康和人类行为实验室的本科生和初级研究生，其中约80%的实验室成员是女性和代表性不足的少数民族学生。与国家户外领导学校合作，研究者创建了一个项目网站，学生和公众都可以很容易地访问该网站，了解研究的初步发现和最新情况。研究小组还积极参与公共宣传，包括在小学和中学课堂上做报告，在当地社区做公开讲座，通过科普文章、播客和Twitter等社交媒体场所促进科学探究和分享研究成果。该项目旨在通过能量/代谢生理学、神经内分泌系统和社会动力学之间的关系，帮助了解人类如何在生物学和行为学上适应新的和具有挑战性的生态环境。作为国家户外领导学校（NOLS）的一部分，研究者将研究参加美国落基山脉约90天探险的个人。在这样的环境中（如高海拔或寒冷），生态和心理压力源对人体生理，包括代谢和心理生物学功能施加了强烈的要求。该研究将针对以下几个方面进行更广泛的讨论：(1)生物变异、可塑性和适应性，(2)基于生命史和生态的能量分配和消耗观点，以及(3)亲社会、合作和集体行动的进化和功能。认识到生理和行为之间的关系和细微差别可能会对人类全球扩张和定居的成功提供关键的见解，对人类健康和福祉以及未来的探索和日益变化的独特生态的居住产生影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This doctoral dissertation project will investigate the relationship between physiology and behavior when humans are exposed to novel, challenging environments. The project will draw upon core bodies of research on biological plasticity and adaptation, energy allocation and expenditure, and social cooperation. This research will facilitate new insights on how humans acclimate to extreme cold and high altitude demands, which will broadly inform research on human capacities to respond to the diverse range of ecological stressors found throughout the world. This study will help train a woman of color at the University of Notre Dame for her PhD and will also help in the training of undergraduate and junior graduate students in the Hormones, Health, & Human Behavior Lab, of which ~80% of lab members are women and underrepresented minority students. In conjunction with the National Outdoor Leadership School, the investigator has created a project website that both students and the public can easily access for preliminary findings and updates on the study. The research team has also heavily engaged in public outreach, including presentations for elementary and middle school classes, public lectures to local communities, and promoting scientific inquiry and sharing research through popular science articles, podcasts, and social media venues like Twitter.This project aims to help understand how humans biologically and behaviorally acclimate to novel and challenging ecologies, specifically via the relationships between energetic/metabolic physiology, neuroendocrine systems, and social dynamics. The investigator will study individuals participating in ~90 day expeditions through the American Rockies as a part of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). In such environments (e.g. high altitude or cold), ecological and psychological stressors impose intensive demands on human physiology, including metabolic and psychobiological functioning. The research will address larger discussions about (i) biological variation, plasticity, and adaptation in challenging ecologies, (ii) life history- and ecological-based perspectives on energetic allocation and expenditure, and (iii) the evolution and function of prosociality, cooperation, and collective action. Recognizing the relationship and nuances between physiology and behavior may give critical insight into the success of human global expansion and settlement, with implications for human health and well-being as well as future exploration, and habitation of increasingly changing and unique ecologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.