Neuroendocrine mechanisms of social vigilance
We study neural mechanisms of social behaviors that are related to mental illness from a naturalistic perspective. We study a behavior called social vigilance, when a mouse avoids and orients towards an unfamiliar individual. In humans the combination of avoidance and vigilance is referred to as behavioral inhibition, a risk factor for anxiety disorders. We study the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which controls social vigilance in mice and has been implicated in anxiety disorders in humans.
We study monogamous California mice to investigate how social stress impacts neural circuits of social vigilance in males and females. We also study how testosterone acts during adolescent development to program this circuitry. The lab is using pharmacology, CRISPR gene editing, and activity-dependent tagging to identify causal mechanisms of social behavior that are impacted by social stress.
To take address systemic barriers that exist in science, our lab is committed to creating a welcoming and collaborative environment for all members. All are welcome in the lab, including individuals who come from backgrounds that are under-represented in science. By joining the lab, members gain access to a broad network of current and former lab members working in academic and non-academic science.
We anticipate hiring either a junior specialist or post-doctoral researcher to work on projects the examine how oxytocin or oxytocin receptor antagonists can reduce the effects of stress on behavior. These projects are based on the Steinman and Duque-Wilckens publications listed below. Anticipated start date early 2027. Contact Brian for more information.
We expect to consider applications for PhD students through the Psychology Graduate Program during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Key Publications
Chrisman, A., Sugimoto, C., Butler-Struben, H., Minie, V. A., Eagle, A. L., Duque-Wilckens, N., Ramos, A., Lewis, Y. I. Robison, A. J., Trainor, B. C. 2026. Spatial organization of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus drives social approach or avoidance. Neuropsychopharmacology, 51, 946-955.
-Brainpod podcast with Audrey Chrisman and Brian Trainor
Wright, E. C., Luo, P. X., Zakharenkov, H. C., Serna Godoy, A., Lake, A., A., Prince, Z. D., Sekar, S., Culkin, H. I., Ramirez, A. V., Dwyer, T., Kapor, A., Corbett, C., Tian, L., Fox, A. S., Trainor, B. C. 2023. Sexual differentiation of neural mechanisms of stress sensitivity during puberty. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., 120, e2306475120.
Williams, A. V., Peña, C. J., Ramos-Maciel, S., Laman-Maharg, A., Ordoñez-Sanches, E., M., Britton, Durbin-Johnson, B., Settles, M., Hao, R., Yokoyama, S., Xu, C., Luo, P. X., Dwyer, T., Bhela, S., Black, A. M., Labonté, B., Serafini, R. A., Ruiz, A., Neve, R. L., Zachariou, V., Nestler, E. J., Trainor, B. C. 2022. Comparative transcriptional analyses in the nucleus accumbens identifies RGS2 as a key mediator of depression-related behavior. Biological Psychiatry, 92, 942-951.
Duque-Wilckens, N., Torres, L. Y., Yokoyama, S., Minie, V., Tran, A. M., Petkova, S. P., Hao, R., Ramos-Maciel, S. Rios, R. A., Jackson, K., Flores-Ramirez, F. J., Garcia-Carachure, I., Pesavento, P. A., Iñiguez, S. A., Grinevich, V. J. & Trainor, B. C. 2020. Extra-hypothalamic oxytocin neurons drive stress-induced social vigilance and avoidance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A.
Steinman, M. Q., Duque-Wilckens, N & Trainor, B. C. 2019. Complementary neural circuits for divergent effects of oxytocin: social approach versus social anxiety. Biological Psychiatry. 85, 792-801.
Duque-Wilckens, N., Steinman, M. Q., Busnelli, M, Chini, B., Yokoyama, S., Pham, M., Laredo, S. A.,R. Hao, Perkeybile, A. M., Minie, V. A., Tan, P. B.. Bales, K. L. and Trainor, B. C. 2018. Oxytocin receptors in the anteromedial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis promote stress-induced social avoidance in females. Biological Psychiatry, 80, 203-213. (Priority communication).
Williams, A. V., Duque-Wilckens, N. Ramos-Maciel, S., Campi, K. L., Bhela, S., Xu, C. K. Jackson, K., Chini, B. Pesavento, P. A. & Trainor, B. C. 2020. Social approach and social vigilance are differentially regulated by oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens. Neuropsychopharmacology.
Commentary by Rieger and Christianson
Updated July 2026