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Decoding ensemble dynamics from cortico-amygdalar circuits during social choice

Award Number: K08MH134028
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2025

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Decoding ensemble dynamics from cortico-amygdalar circuits during social choice - Project Summary Social relationships are a key component of human health and survival and impairments in social behavior have a major impact in many psychiatric conditions. Yet despite the importance of social context to health, there remains no FDA-approved medications that target social cognition and behavior. Social context is defined by the social stimuli available to an animal, is a key mediator of behavior in rodents, and impacts social choices. Yet little is known about how neuronal circuits encode social context and choice.In rodents, circuits in ACC that project to the amygdala (ACC- BLA) and Nucleus accumbens (ACC-Nac) have been shown to be necessary for different aspects of social information transfer. However, how neural activity in these regions encode social context and choice is not known. We developed a social choice paradigm in which mice choose access to a novel or a familiar/cagemate mouse. In this novel paradigm, mice consistently show preference for a social target over a novel object, but they show variable individual biases in social choice between a novel and cagemate conspecific. Recording neural activity from the ACC-BLA and ACC-Nac circuits during this behavioral paradigm will allow for a more nuanced understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social choice. In order to better understand how activity recorded during this and traditional social behavioral paradigms we will leverage recently developed statistical models and inference algorithms to cluster nonlinear dynamical neural responses into an unspecified number of functional sub-groups called Functional Encoding Units (FEUs). We will also apply deep learning tools for behavioral analysis to engage in joint modeling of neural and behavioral data. This will enhance our ability to predict social context and enrich encoding of social behavior. Lastly, given the impact of 3,4-Methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) on social behavior and empathy and its recent clinical significance in post traumatic stress disorder, we hypothesize that MDMA paired social exposure will bias social choice in our paradigm. We will apply deep learning to behavioral analysis of our paradigm in order to test this hypothesis. Through this K-Award we will define how social stimuli are encoded in a context-specific manner within ACC-BLA and ACC-Nac circuits during social choice and how MDMA biases these social choices. In parallel, intensive mentoring, directed readings, and structured coursework will enhance my skills and toolkit in computational modeling and machine learning-based analysis of both neural and behavioral data, and behavioral pharmacology, setting the stage for independence.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2026	2024	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	11/24/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $580,770 )
2025	2025	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	8/18/2025	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$580,770
2025	2024	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	2	8/19/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $580,770

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $191,970 )
2024	2024	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	8/20/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$191,970
														Subtotal = $191,970

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $192,402 )
2023	2023	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	7/26/2023	NEW	$192,402
														Subtotal = $192,402

Grand Total All Awards = $965,142

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Decoding ensemble dynamics from cortico-amygdalar circuits during social choice

Award Number: K08MH134028

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2025

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