Neuroendocrinology and Sex Differences

UCLA is an international leader in research and education in neuroendocrinology and sex differences. Our group studies two sets of factors, sex hormones and sex chromosomes, that influence neural function and disease differently in males and females. The research is profoundly integrative, relating biological mechanisms at the level of individual genes, cell and molecular networks, and neural circuits and physiology, to understand emergent phenotypes that underlie behavior, circadian rhythms, and disease. The study of brain sexual differentiation provides a conceptual framework for understanding reproduction as well as sex differences in disease processes.


List of Faculty:

Arnold, Arthur Sexual Differentiation of the Brain
Cahill, Catherine Chronic pain and opioid addiction
Cooper, Ziva Neurobiology of cannabis, cannabinoids, and endocannabinoids
Correa, Stephanie Neural control of energy homeostasis, estrogen signaling, neuroendocrinology
Dong, Hong Wei Construction of the whole mouse brain wiring diagram
Hong, Weizhe Neural Mechanisms of Social Behavior
Massaly, Nicolas Neurocircuits underlying pain affect, rewarding and aversive properties of stimuli, and substance use disorders
Micevych, Paul Reproductive Neuroendocrinology, Neuroprotection, Pain
Paul, Ketema Sleep regulatory mechanisms
Petersen, Nicole Translational neuroimaging and human neuroendocrinology
Schlinger, Barney Steroid Synthesis and Action in the Vertebrate CNS
Wayne, Nancy Mechanisms Regulating Reproductive-Neuron Physiology
White, Stephanie Social Influences on Learning and Memory
Zhang, Chuchu Neural mechanisms of internal sensations i.e. how we feel inside our body, with a focus on the molecular and circuit mechanisms of nausea.