Neural substrates underlying auditory social cognition. (360G-Wellcome-110238_Z_15_Z)

How the mammalian brain recognizes and uses social cues to guide interactions with conspecifics is a central question in neuroscience. I propose to address this using a natural communicative behaviour in mice, in which males attract potential female mates by producing elaborate courtship songs in the ultrasonic range. This project proposes a unique research approach to study where and how auditory social signals are encoded in the mouse brain, and how these representations are used to guide beha vioural responses during social interactions. This will be achieved by combining an ethologically valid assay of natural female approach to males during courtship with large-scale neuronal ensemble recordings in auditory cortex to assess the neuronal representation of behaviourally relevant vocal sounds. Finally, the neuronal circuits causally involved in generating this social behaviour will be identified using molecular-genetic manipulations. Together, these three synergistic approaches will h elp clarify the neuronal substrates of auditory social cognition, and establish a mouse model of vocal interactions with important implications for the study and potential remediation of psychiatric disorders affecting social communication.