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Narrative

Dr. Kelly aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying variation in animal behavior, with a particular emphasis on examining the role of the nonapeptides, vasopressin and oxytocin, in social behavior. Vasopressin and oxytocin play a central role in modulating numerous types of social behavior including aggression, gregariousness, communication, social recognition, anxiety, pair bonding, and parental care. To answer the question “what are the mechanism underlying social behavior” the lab uses an integrative approach and combines techniques from behavioral ecology, neuroendocrinology, developmental neurobiology, molecular biology, and genetics to study the mechanisms underlying social behavior.