# Integration of social and nonsocial information in the primate brain

> **NIH NIH F99** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2022 · $47,752

## Abstract

Project Summary
Primate species frequently use social information to inform their decisions, for instance, to help make inferences
about potential threats or rewards in the environment. The Diagnostics and Statistical Manual for Mental
Disorders (DSM) has labeled social impairments, including social cognition, as a primary characteristic of many
mental health-related disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia. Therefore,
understanding the neurobiology surrounding social cognition and decision-making is of critical importance. Work
in this field has primarily centered around human and rodent studies, mapping brain regions related to social
cognition and innate social functions. To understand the neural mechanisms governing complex social
reasoning, however, we must investigate neural circuit function in primate brains. Neurophysiology recording in
monkeys, particularly rhesus macaque, provide us with an ideal model to investigate these questions. Rhesus
monkeys are a social species with similar neuroanatomy to humans and engage in complex social behaviors.
Thus, they can provide valuable insight to the mechanisms of social cognition in the brain. The long-term goal
of this project is to determine whether the brain encodes social information in multimodal circuits, or if social
information is encoded in a fundamentally unique way. In the following proposal, I detail how monkeys are an
ideal model to study social cognition using a neurophysiological approach. In Aim 1, I have taught monkeys to
use social and nonsocial visual guides to select correct target locations for a juice-reward. In the F99-phase, I
will record and analysis neurons from the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg) and the frontal eye field (FEF),
interconnected regions implicated in social cognition and motor planning, to determine how this circuit encodes
goal-directed information derived from social and nonsocial cues. In Aim 2, under the K00 phase, I discuss my
proposal for a multi-subject study incorporating neurophysiological recording and computational modeling and
analysis to understand how neural activity facilitates social interactive behavior. Overall, my goal for this
fellowship is to provide myself with the tools, knowledge, and ability to successfully make a lasting impact on the
neuroscience field and improve our knowledge of how social cognition impacts our mental health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10541330
- **Project number:** 1F99NS125826-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph Simon
- **Activity code:** F99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $47,752
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10541330

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10541330, Integration of social and nonsocial information in the primate brain (1F99NS125826-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10541330. Licensed CC0.

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