Arjen J. Boender

This study identifies a circuit in the medial prefrontal cortex where oxytocin modulates interneurons to promote social behavior in female rats, even under physiological stress.

The paper shows that a SNP in the oxytocin receptor gene affects social observation behavior in female prairie voles, with C/C genotype females spending more time observing novel males.

This study shows that knocking down oxytocin receptors in specific brain regions of female mice reduces stress-induced social avoidance behaviors.

This paper develops a CRISPR/Cas9-based method to reduce dopamine receptor levels in multiple rodent species, enabling comparative studies of neural mechanisms.

This study links natural variation in oxytocin receptor signaling to changes in brain transcription, particularly in the natural killer gene complex, suggesting a mechanism for social behavior diversity.

This study shows that social experience alters oxytocinergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens of female prairie voles, affecting synaptic transmission and social behavior.

This study shows that EAAT2 plasticity in striatal astrocytes affects behavioral flexibility, with overtraining leading to EAAT2 upregulation and impaired flexibility.