Neuroendocrine Pathways: Brain, Sex, and Hormones

MBB 980GG Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course focuses on the study of the neuro-endocrine interactions that determine the organizational and functional effects of hormones in the brain throughout development with a focus on the role of sex hormones (estradiol, testosterone) in the brain. The course will address a) the role of hormones in the sexual differentiation of the brain; b) the role of the brain in the maintenance of the body homeostasis through the regulation of the different endocrine axes; c) central control of sexual maturation (puberty); d) regulation of the hypothalamic neuronal networks by peripheral factors (e.g. metabolism, stress, environment, endocrine disruptors); e) effect of hormonal cues on behavior; f) senescence of the neuroendocrine systems (e.g. the hypothalamus after menopause). At the end of the course, the students will gain basic knowledge of the interactions between the brain and the endocrine system, and how sex hormones play a crucial role in the development and function of the brain throughout life. These developmental and functional effects of sex hormones in the brain are essential for the full understanding of neurobiological processes.