We study how life experience shapes the brain to guide complex social behavior, and how these processes are altered by stress and trauma. Social and stressful experiences are among the most powerful forces sculpting brain function, yet the biological mechanisms that translate lived experience into lasting changes in social behavior remain poorly understood. That is the gap our work aims to fill. 

We approach this problem across several levels of analysis, from molecular and synaptic mechanisms to neural circuits and behavior—and back again. To do this, we integrate state-of-the-art approaches—including viral circuit mapping, fiber photometry, optogenetics, chemogenetics, electrophysiology, and high-resolution behavioral analysis—to link experience-dependent plasticity to circuit dynamics and social behavior. By moving iteratively between levels, we aim to build mechanistic models of how experience reshapes the social brain over time.

Learn more about our work in the Projects and Publications tabs!

Our lab is a collaborative and interdisciplinary team of neuroscientists united by a shared interest in the biology of social behavior. We are particularly motivated to identify molecular and circuit-level targets that could one day inform interventions for pathological aggression and other stress-related social dysfunctions. 

We value rigorous science, open collaboration, and clear communication. Thanks for visiting—please reach out if you’d like to learn more about our work or explore opportunities to collaborate!

Learn more about our projects in our Projects tab!

Learn more about our team members in our People tab!