Our Research
Social History: Social Isolation, Instability, Overcrowding, Hierarchy
One of the biggest threats to our health is the modern epidemic of loneliness. A large portion of the Zelikowsky Lab’s research aims to understand the neurobiology of social isolation. In particular, the lab has identified a role for the neuropeptide Tachykinin 2 in the control of the internal state produced by prolonged social isolation. We are currently investigating the role of Tac2 in additional brain regions in the control of various behaviors altered by social isolation. More generally, we believe that neuropeptides are perfectly poised to modulate various internal social states, and additional projects in the lab are aimed at understanding the function of various neuropeptides to control such states, including social instability and overcrowding. Finally, we are interested in how various social features, including social hierarchy, interact with social experience to influence behavior and the brain.
Relationships: Mating, Sociality, and Social Vocalizations
Social stress, including social isolation, has been shown to produce deleterious impacts on relationship quality, social interactions, intimacy and can even alter the evolutionary trajectory of a species. We are interested in understanding the impact of social isolation on mating behavior, social interactions, and mouse ultrasonic vocalizations. In particular, we focus on understanding changes in the brain and behavior for animals that undergo stress as well as the repercussions of these changes on the brain and adaptive behavior of the recipient animal.
Violence: Non-Canonical Circuits, Unique Biobehavioral Footprints
There isn’t a week that goes by without a devastating, tragic episode of societal or domestic violence in the news. Indeed, aggression towards others as well as towards the self has steeply risen in recent years. Our group is aimed at understanding the neurobiology of aggression, with a focus on examining the contribution of extra-hypothalamic regions, not typically studied in the context of aggression. In addition, we are interested in comparing the effects of distinct experiences, such as social isolation, acute noxious stress, or mating, to generate dissociable forms of aggression which can be identified through computationally, behaviorally, and neurobiologically unique footprints.
Trauma: Social Behaviors, Memory
One of the hallmark features of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is its ability to negatively impact social behaviors, including engendering aggression. Nevertheless, the impact of trauma on social behavior has been relatively understudied. The Zelikowsky Lab has a number of projects aimed at revealing the behavioral impact of trauma on subsequent social behaviors. We aim to identify unique, cell-type- and projection-specific neural ensembles which underlie trauma and its effects on behavior. In addition, we are interested in studying the intersection of trauma and memory, identifying how a single, acute stressor is capable of both limiting and enhancing certain types of social and asocial memories.