May’s Early Career Research in Neuroscience Seminar Series on Thursday, May 9th, 2024, on Zoom will feature a presentation by Dr. Takuya Osakada.

Takuya Osakada, a postdoctoral researcher from the Department of Neuroscience at New York University School of Medicine (NYU Langone Health), will talk about his work researching the neural mechanisms underlying defeat-induced social learning, specifically highlighting the importance of the hypothalamic oxytocin system in social ranking and its plasticity (Osakada et al, Nature, 2024). He uses a mix of behavior, genetic approaches, electrophysiology, optogenetics, and calcium imaging to explore the role of oxytocin in the retrochiasmatic supraoptic nucleus and oxytocin receptor neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus to find a key circuit for defeat-induced social avoidance learning.  This work has exciting implications for exploring the underlying circuits involved in survival within complex social groups.

Title: “A specific oxytocin circuit in the hypothalamus controls social avoidance learning."