Vinicius Miessler de Andrade Carvalho, Ph.D.

Secciones

Vinicius Miessler de Andrade Carvalho, Ph.D.
Title
Postdoctoral fellow
Department
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Institution
Stanford University
Address
MSLS Building
1201 Welch Road, P156
City, State, ZIP
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone
650-723-9923
Email
[email protected]
Website
https://med.stanford.edu/nirao.html
Research field
Neuroscience
Award year
2022
Country of origin
Brazil
Mentor name
Nirao M. Shah, Ph.D.

Research

In the Shah lab, I will dissect the neural circuit that allows animals to determine—with a sniff—whether another animal is male or female, information that underscores their subsequent social interactions. Animals, particularly males, make decisions about how to act around others of their kind based primarily on sex: Females represent potential mates, while males are considered potential competitors. Dr. Shah’s lab has discovered a class of neurons that is essential for sex recognition; inhibiting these neurons renders males uninterested in mating with available females or fighting with males who intrude on their turf. Using cutting-edge tools in cell and molecular genetics, neural imaging, and optogenetics, I will characterize the input that these cells receive from the neurons that detect pheromones and determine whether this circuit is “sufficient” for sex recognition or if other neural connections are required. These findings will provide insights into how animals socially engage and could suggest a novel approach to treating disorders that feature altered social engagement, such as autism.

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