Humans are social. Our social connections give us purpose and support throughout life, while a lack of social relationships at any life stage increases the likelihood of adversity. Throughout development, sociality is determined by the interplay of genetic variation and environmental factors (G*E interactions). Consequently, early disturbances of social developmental trajectories can have lasting consequences in adult life. Little is known about the developmental mechanisms that underlie altered sociality. The goal of our research is to understand how social diversity arises. This is highly relevant to the understanding of conditions that are characterized by atypical social cognition, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia.

We investigate how G*E interactions impact neurodevelopmental trajectories
A major challenge to psychiatry is to link genetic variation to mental illness. Psychiatric disorders are highly heritable, but it has been difficult to identify the molecular mechanisms via which genetic variation results in atypical behaviors. Complicating the picture is that neither the influence of genetic variation, nor the susceptibility to environmental factors is stable throughout development. Adverse environmental conditions are especially influential during critical developmental periods, which in turn are influenced by genetic background. To begin to unravel the complex influence of G*E interactions throughout development, it is critical to study model organisms in which substantial genetic variation exists. Our aim is to exploit genetic variation of distinct mouse strains to understand diversity in social behavior and gain fundamental insights in the mechanisms of social cognition.

We focus on glial cells and neuroimmune signaling
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the immune system is involved in the etiologies of psychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. In the central nervous system, immune pathways are mostly operated by glial cells such as microglia, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. While traditionally understudied, glia are garnering increasing interest, as they actively shape and maintain neural circuits to regulate behavior. Recent research also highlights the therapeutic potential of glia, and the study of these non-neuronal cells may give vital insight into the mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. We hope  to contribute to the growing insight into how neuroimmune pathways shape neurodevelopmental pathways and modulate social behaviors.