Catherine Dulac
@dulaclab.bsky.social
Identifying the neural basis of innate social behaviors using molecular and genetic tools @Harvard @HHMINEWS
Just finished my first book of the year: a sober, courageous, yet emotional, eye-opening and haunting narrative by an Ukrainian writer, father and staunch pacifist who enlisted the day his country was invaded. A must read for anyone concerned by current world affairs...
January 3, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Just finished my first book of the year: a sober, courageous, yet emotional, eye-opening and haunting narrative by an Ukrainian writer, father and staunch pacifist who enlisted the day his country was invaded. A must read for anyone concerned by current world affairs...
Finally, in the MPOA Gal+ Calcr+ hub of parenting, androgens shift the balance: increasing AR activity suppresses retrieval, while removing AR reduces aggression to pups and boosts care. Together: a hormone-to-cell type-to enhancer-to-behavior blueprint for state- and sex-specific parenting 🧠🧬 6/6
December 13, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Finally, in the MPOA Gal+ Calcr+ hub of parenting, androgens shift the balance: increasing AR activity suppresses retrieval, while removing AR reduces aggression to pups and boosts care. Together: a hormone-to-cell type-to enhancer-to-behavior blueprint for state- and sex-specific parenting 🧠🧬 6/6
This maternal trigger doesn’t act alone—it recruits the core parenting hub (MPOA Gal+ Calcr+ neurons). Activating AvPe Brs3+ Vglut2+ neurons drives Fos expression in this hub, showing how a mother-tuned input can power a shared parenting circuit. 5/6
December 13, 2025 at 2:11 PM
This maternal trigger doesn’t act alone—it recruits the core parenting hub (MPOA Gal+ Calcr+ neurons). Activating AvPe Brs3+ Vglut2+ neurons drives Fos expression in this hub, showing how a mother-tuned input can power a shared parenting circuit. 5/6
And we show this is how it works: oxytocin strongly excites these neurons in maternal brains, and deleting Oxtr or prolactin receptor in AvPe Vglut2+ neurons delays pup retrieval. Hormones aren’t just “on/off”—they change what the circuit responds to. 4/6
December 13, 2025 at 2:10 PM
And we show this is how it works: oxytocin strongly excites these neurons in maternal brains, and deleting Oxtr or prolactin receptor in AvPe Vglut2+ neurons delays pup retrieval. Hormones aren’t just “on/off”—they change what the circuit responds to. 4/6
What makes these neurons “maternal”? Single-nucleus RNA-seq + ATAC-seq reveal a Prolactin → STAT5b program that remodels regulatory DNA and switches on oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) expression specifically in mothers. 3/6
December 13, 2025 at 2:08 PM
What makes these neurons “maternal”? Single-nucleus RNA-seq + ATAC-seq reveal a Prolactin → STAT5b program that remodels regulatory DNA and switches on oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) expression specifically in mothers. 3/6
First, we characterize a trigger node that is specific to mothers: excitatory AvPe neurons expressing Brs3 light up when moms first meet pups. Artificially activating them in virgin females boosts key maternal behaviors—like pushing the circuit over the threshold into care. 2/6
December 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
First, we characterize a trigger node that is specific to mothers: excitatory AvPe neurons expressing Brs3 light up when moms first meet pups. Artificially activating them in virgin females boosts key maternal behaviors—like pushing the circuit over the threshold into care. 2/6
Together, these data show that the brain, like the immune system, generates modular, pathogen-specific responses, not a single generic “sickness” program. 5/6
December 9, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Together, these data show that the brain, like the immune system, generates modular, pathogen-specific responses, not a single generic “sickness” program. 5/6
A 940-gene MERFISH atlas by @moffittlab.bsky.social revealed cell-type-specific immune responses in POA and PVN neurons and glia, including condition-specific interferon-stimulated genes, chemokines, and neuropeptides. 4/6
December 9, 2025 at 12:13 PM
A 940-gene MERFISH atlas by @moffittlab.bsky.social revealed cell-type-specific immune responses in POA and PVN neurons and glia, including condition-specific interferon-stimulated genes, chemokines, and neuropeptides. 4/6
Whole-brain FOS imaging showed that each challenge produces a distinct neural activity pattern. Machine learning could classify sickness states using only these brain-wide signatures. 3/6
December 9, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Whole-brain FOS imaging showed that each challenge produces a distinct neural activity pattern. Machine learning could classify sickness states using only these brain-wide signatures. 3/6
We find that sickness is not a generic state: using five immune challenges modeling bacterial, viral, parasitic, allergic, and colitis inflammation, we uncovered unique behavioral and physiological signatures for each state. 2/6
December 9, 2025 at 12:09 PM
We find that sickness is not a generic state: using five immune challenges modeling bacterial, viral, parasitic, allergic, and colitis inflammation, we uncovered unique behavioral and physiological signatures for each state. 2/6
I am thrilled to share our latest work: we identified a population of central amygdala neurons that promote the earliest and perhaps most important social behavior: pup suckling!... We also developed new tools for pup neuroscience
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
October 21, 2025 at 10:18 AM
I am thrilled to share our latest work: we identified a population of central amygdala neurons that promote the earliest and perhaps most important social behavior: pup suckling!... We also developed new tools for pup neuroscience
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
Thanks, that makes total sense, and these are indeed the studies I use for my undergrad class on cortical remapping... what about the study in human showing remapping of fingers into face? I guess it has to be discarded too?....
August 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Thanks, that makes total sense, and these are indeed the studies I use for my undergrad class on cortical remapping... what about the study in human showing remapping of fingers into face? I guess it has to be discarded too?....
3 generations of Dulac researchers, from literature and philosophy of the Enlightenment (my dad), to theoretical physics (my nephew Raphael) to neuroscience (that’s me)!… 🤩👍👏
August 14, 2025 at 5:03 PM
3 generations of Dulac researchers, from literature and philosophy of the Enlightenment (my dad), to theoretical physics (my nephew Raphael) to neuroscience (that’s me)!… 🤩👍👏
An amazing talk today by @ardemp.bskyverified.social with precious advice on science and survival! Thanks Ardem for having @harvardmcb.bsky.social as the first stop of your seminar tour 🙏👏
May 15, 2025 at 5:21 PM
An amazing talk today by @ardemp.bskyverified.social with precious advice on science and survival! Thanks Ardem for having @harvardmcb.bsky.social as the first stop of your seminar tour 🙏👏
And special 👏 to PK who was awarded this year Hoopes Prize for her senior thesis: here when she just learned about it. Please note the T shirt beneath her mouse facility outfit, PK is also a star athlete! So many talents in the @dulaclab.bsky.social
May 2, 2025 at 7:36 PM
And special 👏 to PK who was awarded this year Hoopes Prize for her senior thesis: here when she just learned about it. Please note the T shirt beneath her mouse facility outfit, PK is also a star athlete! So many talents in the @dulaclab.bsky.social
Congratulations to the 4 exceptional senior undergrads who defended their thesis in my lab: from left to right, Selorna, Misha, PK and Josephine, together with their postdoctoral mentors Zuri Sullivan, @dingliu.bsky.social and @mostafizurrahman.bsky.social (Tricia Horvath in maternity leave)
May 2, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Congratulations to the 4 exceptional senior undergrads who defended their thesis in my lab: from left to right, Selorna, Misha, PK and Josephine, together with their postdoctoral mentors Zuri Sullivan, @dingliu.bsky.social and @mostafizurrahman.bsky.social (Tricia Horvath in maternity leave)
Terrific second day of visit at UCSD for the Kuffler lectures and very much enjoying seeing Melonie Vaughn, former undergrad in the lab, now graduate student, and @bambahmukkulab.bsky.social, both doing superbly here, as expected!...
March 20, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Terrific second day of visit at UCSD for the Kuffler lectures and very much enjoying seeing Melonie Vaughn, former undergrad in the lab, now graduate student, and @bambahmukkulab.bsky.social, both doing superbly here, as expected!...
the women of my lab -thanks Lianna for the cool montage-
March 8, 2025 at 7:58 PM
the women of my lab -thanks Lianna for the cool montage-
Dulac Lab end of the year celebration at Summer Shack last night: delicious oysters, lobsters and many other sea delicacies on the menu!...
December 17, 2024 at 6:32 PM
Dulac Lab end of the year celebration at Summer Shack last night: delicious oysters, lobsters and many other sea delicacies on the menu!...
The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry: a great poem for troubled time...
November 14, 2024 at 12:16 PM
The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry: a great poem for troubled time...