The Seasonal and Social Neuroendocrinology Lab

Kat’s outlook manuscript on the genetic basis of exploratory behavior in African cichlids has been published in Learning & Behavior! In this paper, she discusses the results of recent study published in Science (Sommer-Trembo et al. 2024), which examines how exploratory tendency and its underlying molecular mechanisms drive niche adaptation across 57 cichlid species. A…

Last weekend, Kat presented her research at Neuroscience 2024, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, in Chicago! Here, she discussed her work on the neuroendocrine control of subordinate social status by androgen receptors in male Astatotilapia burtoni. She had a great time discussing her research with neuroscientists across all disciplines and catching up…

Kat is continuing her research as a NIGMS F32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of California Los Angeles! She is looking forward to joining this vibrant community of researchers and is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her work in this excellent department and institution. Cheers to…

In June, Kat presented her research at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio! Here, she discussed her work on the neural and physiological regulation of social status by androgens in male Astatotilapia burtoni. She had a great time catching up with friends and colleagues and is looking forward to attending next…

Kat’s first research paper from her postdoc was recently published in General and Comparative Endocrinology! In this study, she and her co-authors used a phylogenetic approach to propose a cohesive nomenclature system for novel steroid receptor paralogs in teleost fishes. They found several discrepancies in how steroid receptor paralogs are named across species, especially for…

Kat’s F32 NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship has been funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)! This fellowship will support her for the next two years as she examines the neural and molecular regulation of subordination in A. burtoni using state-of-the-art sequencing and genome editing tools. She is looking forward to starting this groundbreaking…

Kat’s perspective piece on studying sex diversity in the field of neuroendocrinology was recently published in Hormones and Behavior! In this article, she and her co-authors propose a new conceptual framework to guide the integrative study of sex and provide practical guidance on research approaches for studying sex-associated variables, including factors to consider in study…

Kat’s first paper from her postdoctoral work was recently published in Molecular Psychology: Brain, Behavior, and Society! In this review, she and her advisor Beau discuss correlational, pharmacological, and molecular genetic evidence for the neuroendocrine regulation of social status by sex steroids in teleost fishes. They also argue that use of gene editing approaches in…

Kat’s review proposing the seasonal switch hypothesis for the neuroendocrine regulation of aggression was recently published as a featured article in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism! This review is based, in part, on findings from Kat’s Ph.D. research in the Demas lab, in which she examined how melatonin controls seasonal aggression indirectly via steroid hormones…

Kat’s manuscript on sex and seasonal differences in neural steroid sensitivity and aggression was recently published in Hormones and Behavior! In this study, she found that male and female hamsters show distinct changes in the expression of steroid-related genes in the medial preoptic area, anterior hypothalamus, and periaqueductal gray following treatment with short-day photoperiods or…