During the past 30 yr, investigating the physiology of eating behaviors has generated a truly
vast literature. This is fueled in part by a dramatic increase in obesity and its comorbidities …

How do our brains determine whether something is good or bad? How is this computational
goal implemented in biological systems? Given the critical importance of valence processing …

Most social species self-organize into dominance hierarchies,, which decreases aggression
and conserves energy,, but it is not clear how individuals know their social rank. We have …

Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons play a central role in mediating
motivated behaviors, but the circuitry through which they signal positive and negative …

The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) coordinates an array of fundamental behaviors,
including slee**, waking, feeding, stress and motivated behavior. The wide spectrum of …

The hypothalamus regulates innate social behaviors, including mating and aggression.
These behaviors can be evoked by optogenetic stimulation of specific neuronal …

Deciding what to do and when to move is vital to our survival. Clinical and fundamental
studies have identified basal ganglia circuits as critical for this process. The main input …

When faced with potential predators, animals instinctively decide whether there is a threat
they should escape from, and also when, how, and where to take evasive action. While …

Recognizing the affective states of social counterparts and responding appropriately fosters
successful social interactions. However, little is known about how the affective states are …

The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) is known to relay noxious information to the
amygdala for processing affective responses. However, it is unclear whether the LPBN …