# The role of sexually dimorphic vasopressin in social behavior

> **NIH NIH F31** · GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $46,036

## Abstract

Project Summary
This project aims to understand the function of sex difference in the neural control of social behavior by
focusing on the sexually dimorphic vasopressin system, where males have much higher vasopressin
expression than females. Experiments proposed during the fellowship period will identify whether the sex
difference in vasopressin innervation contributes to sex differences in the control of social behavior and
communication. I will gain exceptional training in powerful genetic approaches that allow us to target
vasopressin cells and the vasopressin gene specifically. The first aim tests whether excitation or inhibition of
the sexually dimorphic vasopressin cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) affects social
behavior differently in males and females. The second aim tests whether vasopressin is the key neuropeptide
mediating sex-different effects on social communication observed in a previous study that ablated BNST
vasopressin cells. This project will significantly enhance our mechanistic understanding of how the brain
controls social behavior differently in males and females and may explain why many behavioral disorders show
striking sex differences in morbidity. Although recently major advances have been made in understanding the
neural basis of social behavior in adulthood, how such behavior is controlled differently in males and females
is, by and large, unknown. This training grant will address these issues.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10233035
- **Project number:** 1F31MH125659-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicole Rigney
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $46,036
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-02-22 → 2024-02-21

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10233035

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10233035, The role of sexually dimorphic vasopressin in social behavior (1F31MH125659-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10233035. Licensed CC0.

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