Fay Allison Guarraci - US grants

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, Southwestern University will be able to significantly expand the analytical capabilities of the behavioral neuroscience program. This grant will be used to acquire equipment for on-site processing and imaging of brain tissue, and will be used in research projects designed to identify the contribution of neurotransmitter systems to the display of female rodent mating behavior. This research will advance the understanding of the neurobiology of mammalian mating behavior, as well as prepare undergraduates for future careers in science. Neuroscience is a fast growing and technically demanding science. The rapid development of technology in neuroscience presents a challenge to smaller colleges and universities with limited funds for research.

The state of the art histological equipment acquired through the MRI program will allow Southwestern to provide an accurate portrayal of neuroscience to the students. Undergraduate students will use and benefit directly from the technology and will receive the one-on-one mentoring that takes place at small, liberal arts institutions. In order to cultivate enthusiasm for behavioral neuroscience at Southwestern, as well as to prepare students for future careers in science, students must be engaged in basic research and have access to the equipment that is required to produce publishable results. As part of degree requirements, honors' theses, and regular coursework, students are already investigating the physiological factors that influence mating behavior in rats. Access to brain processing and imaging equipment will provide the students with the opportunity to conduct these projects at the caliber required by the peer-review of the scientific community.

The rat represents an excellent model system to study how the brain controls behavior because research has established a foundation of basic neuroanatomy and a thorough description of the behavioral patterns of the laboratory rat. Recent research has begun to identify the brain areas that are critical for female mating behavior in the rat. In the present project, it is hypothesized that monoaminergic neurotransmission in these and other critical brain regions modulates the expression of female mating behavior. Injecting psychoactive substances directly into the brain prior to tests of mating behavior is an effective method to test this hypothesis. After careful training, undergraduate students can study the neural circuits and neurochemicals involved in the expression of various aspects of mating behavior by using this method. The equipment acquired with this grant will allow students at both Southwestern and St. Edward's University, a nearby small institution that will be collaborating on the project, to conduct such experiments and prepare the results for publication. In summary, having access to state of the art equipment will allow students and faculty members at Southwestern and St. Edward's to continue to be active members of the scientific community through collaborations and peer-reviewed publications.