# Sex hormone regulation of Lateral Habenula circuitry for reward and aversion encoding

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $73,694

## Abstract

Project Summary
 This proposal seeks to investigate sex hormone effects on reward and aversion-related behaviors through
mapping of Lateral Habenula (LHb) circuits. The LHb is a central hub important for encoding aversive information
and coordinating motivated behaviors, actions critical for survival. Dysfunction in LHb-dependent circuits
contribute to a diverse set of disordered behaviors, such as aberrant processing of positive and negative valence,
anhedonia, depressive symptomology, and maladaptive stress response, to name a few. While it is known that
motivated behaviors are modulated by circulating sex hormones, no studies have investigated whether negative
circuit regulators, specifically projections from the LHb, contribute to this phenomenon. Furthermore, nuclear
hormone receptors in the brain have not been well characterized, therefore understanding their role within LHb
reward circuits and how they interact with circulating hormones will provide insight into mechanisms driving sex
hormone effects on reward-related behaviors. In this proposal, by taking advantage of the most recent
technologies to define, manipulate, and monitor neural activity, I plan to test the functional contribution of specific
hormone receptors on molecularly defined LHb projection neurons on reward and aversion-related behaviors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10313129
- **Project number:** 1F32MH127772-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Brandy A. Briones
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $73,694
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-01 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10313129

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10313129, Sex hormone regulation of Lateral Habenula circuitry for reward and aversion encoding (1F32MH127772-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10313129. Licensed CC0.

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