Reproductive Biology ePosters

Sex-steroid hormones powerfully influence internal states, mood, and social drives. In many species, including mice, females exhibit increased sexual receptivity during the peri-ovulatory phase following an estrogen surge. However, we lack understanding of how these hormones alter neural computations to regulate…

Omentin-1 (OMNT1), is adipokine involved in regulation of energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and reproduction. Our previous study documented expression and in vitro effect of OMNT1 on endocrine function of porcine anterior pituitary cells. However, its role in hypothalamus remains unknown. The present study…

Parental care is crucial for the survival and development of offspring in altricial mammalian species. While maternal behavior in postpartum females is already well understood, the neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition of maternal behavior without prior experience still remains unclear. In this project we aimed…

Maternal motivation enables heightened responsivity of mothers towards offspring. While this motivational state is critical to infant survival, little is known about its regulation. Previous work in maternal rodents demonstrates that lesioning ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons disrupts maternal motivated behaviors;…