# Sex Differences in the Neural Control of Social Behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $390,000

## Abstract

This project aims to understand the function of sex differences in neural control of social behavior by
focusing on the higher level of vasopressin expression in male versus female brains. This is the most
consistently found sex difference among vertebrates, and the best understood in terms of function in
adult animals. This grant will study whether the sex difference in vasopressin innervation contributes to
sex differences in the display and control of social behavior. We will take advantage of new powerful
genetic approaches that allows us to target vasopressin cells specifically. The first aim is to test whether
removal of the sexually dimorphic vasopressin cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial
amygdaloid nucleus affects social behavior differently in males and females. The second aim is to test
whether inhibition or excitation of these cells alters social behavior differently in males and females. The
third aim is to identify the in- and outputs of these cells, to begin to understand the neural circuitry via
which vasopressin affects social behavior differently in males and females. Understanding how the brain
controls social behavior differently in males and females is important as many behavioral disorders show
striking sex differences in morbidity. Sexual differentiation of the brain likely contributes to these
differences. 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 grant will address these issues.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10516727
- **Project number:** 5R01MH121603-04
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Geert J. De Vries
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $390,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-12-18 → 2024-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10516727

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10516727, Sex Differences in the Neural Control of Social Behavior (5R01MH121603-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-14 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10516727. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*